


The Ink Is Dry

by prettylittlepetticoats



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Video Game World, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Jon Snow, Character Death, Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fantasy, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Jon Snow Knows Something, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, Magic, POV Jon Snow, Pain, Past Jon Snow/Ygritte, Plot Twists, Political Jon Snow, Romance, Time Travel, Video Game Mechanics, Warg Jon Snow, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:09:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 75,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22390813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettylittlepetticoats/pseuds/prettylittlepetticoats
Summary: 'He awoke with a gasp that he was sure travelled across the Narrow Sea'Jon Snow lives, but as a boy in Winterfell once more. He must fight for survival, for his family and to claim his birthright. All the while he must keep his darkest secret in the shadows, whilst playing the deadliest game of all. He is a song of ice and fire, a song ready to be sung. {video game/time travel}
Comments: 132
Kudos: 476





	1. The Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdyy my first story hereee
> 
> so I usually post stories on FF, but several viewers recommended I post here too so here we are.  
> I hope you enjoy this story, it is one of my favs even though it is the hardest to write, hard work = results apparently, who knew. 
> 
> pls let me know what you think, if you're enjoying it, your thoughts on mechanics/plot/ships all that. 
> 
> songrecs: house stark theme - ramin djawadi

He awoke with a gasp he was sure was heard across the Narrow Sea.

The rush of air into his lungs was sweeter than any maidens kiss, and he vaulted up from the surface he was on. He noted as he sat up that what had been the hard wood of a table in a dingy hut at the edge of the world was now the soft feathers of a bed, and as he opened his eyes, he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. He blinked several times, his hands shaking by his sides, his brain unable to process what was happening, his eyes flickering around the room, trying to understand.

Was this a dream?

He was in Winterfell again, in his old room, not a thing out of place since he had last been between the four walls. He was shaking as he looked around; there was the painting on the wall, a simple landscape of Winterfell that had been a 13th nameday present from his father, then on the opposite wall, another painting of he with his siblings, something his father had commissioned. Jon remembered that day, sitting still for so long whilst Lady Stark glared at him, due to his inclusion. His Father had shut her down when she had tried to ensure he was removed from the image, and thus he was smiling in the painting, a rare thing for him, as usually he would brood.

His boots were at the end of the bed, his clothes hanging in the closet opposite… it was as though nothing had changed. He heard a whine and Ghost leapt onto the bed, so much smaller now, and yet clearly still his loyal companion, if now the size of a pup instead of a pony.

What had happened? The last thing Jon could recall through the murky memories was Castle Black, he reached for a robe then as his shaking continued, and he traced his fingers down his chest searching for scars that weren't present. It was then he noted a distinct lack of scars in general; where was the white line on his hip from a spar with Grenn? Where was the three circles on his shoulder from the arrows Ygritte had sunk into him? It was only then he registered … why was he focusing on the lack of scars, when he should be focusing on his body in general?

He forced himself to his feet; he was shorter by a good few inches, still tall, he had shot up fast in his youth ('bastards grow quicker' Ser Rodrick had grumbled once, though of course his meaning hadn't been literal), but not as tall as he had been. He still had muscle but not as much, he lacked a beard and his hair was shorter, curly still but shorter. He had lost a lot of strength, and he shook his head once more as he tugged on his robe. He was focusing on the small things, not the bigger question at hand.

What the hell was he doing back here? He began to pace, glancing out the window he saw the Stark banners on the walls, his Father striding across the courtyard with Maester Luwin, Robb following behind. He felt his eyes grow misty and had to stop himself from opening the window to call out to his lost brother and father… had it all been a dream? The things he had endured as a man of the Watch, had it all been a fantasy? The battles, the fights, the loss of his family? Had it been one long dream that he had finally woken from? It made no sense, and Jon couldn't comprehend it, he was certain he was still in shock, unable to understand what had happened to him, his mind unable to wrap around the two possibilities:

Either it had all been one long, hard dream he was glad to wake up from, or he had somehow been … sent back in time, forced back to a simpler time… perhaps to fix mistakes of the past? "That's insane" He whispered to himself, as he hurriedly went to his private bathroom to clean up, needing to keep busy to stop the violent shakes racking through his body, and in desperate need of some water on his face. A few splashes of freezing water on his face did help him focus a little, but it didn't stop the shaking.

Had he been sent back? Killed by his brothers and somehow he had ended up back here in Winterfell? A boy once more, not a man of the Watch as he had been? It made no sense, and yet … he was thankful, thankful his Father was still alive, thankful Robb was still a boy, not a Lord burdened with decisions he couldn't make. It was then he thought of Arya, Bran, Rickon, gods even Sansa! All alive and well, and a smile managed to push through the shock on his features. Perhaps he shouldn't question whatever had happened and simply be thankful? He was home, everyone was well… should he be worrying about such a thing? Shouldn't he simply be happy?

But then, Jon had always been broody, and he couldn't help but wonder, who wouldn't? His last memory was one of betrayal by his brothers, and now he was a boy once more, not a hardened man of the watch. He was sure it had all been real; Ygritte, Sam, Pyp, Ed, Grenn… it had all felt so real, the bloodshed, Ygritte's touch… it had all been so real, and he realised with a heavy heart and even more confusion … there was no way it had all been a dream, it simply wasn't possible. Years it had been, years of pain, small smatters of pleasure and endless duty. It had all been real, as real as the walls of his room.

He splashed some more water on his face and once clean he dressed quickly, breeches, socks, his boots, a black tunic and white furs over his shoulders with a black cloak hanging down. He hesitated at the door before securing his weapons belt at his waist; his sword and dagger hanging from the loops. He knew it would seem strange, carrying weapons in his home but … regardless of whether it had been a dream or not, Jon didn't feel right not having them on him, he knew that was paranoia from his time at the Wall, where a man always carried a weapon. Running a hand through his hair, he made for the door, only to find it locked.

He raised an eyebrow then; the locking mechanism wasn't in use, and so he tugged again, and again, but the door remained stiffly shut. After a few more tries he kicked at it, and the wood didn't even shudder. "What the…"

Jon began but was cut off immediately by what seemed to be a flash of light, harsh and bright across his eyes. He reeled back, grabbing his dagger from his waist, drawn and ready, until the icy…somehow cold silver light dissolved to reveal something on the bed, nothing special as he walked over, dagger still in hand as he was wary, but curious. On the bed sat a book, made of worn leather, on the front was the Stark sigil; the direwolf of Winterfell, and as he flipped it over to inspect it he saw on the back, the Targaryen sigil; the red three headed dragon. His brow creased then… how had this come to be here? And why was something with the Targaryen symbol on it, in his room?

He felt his best move was to go to his father, tell him of this (though not his possible dream, he knew it would sound insane and didn't fancy Lady Stark's glares as he tried to explain potential time travel, as he was convinced it wasn't a dream he'd endured), and so he made his way to the door, worn book in hand, but once again found it locked. He glanced at the book, then back at the door and with a sigh sat himself on the bed evidently, he wasn't leaving his room anytime soon.

"I feel like this might be the dream" He muttered to himself, perhaps that was the answer? Perhaps this was the dream and he was simply recovering at Castle Black? He halted his thoughts there, he didn't want to think of his last memories, filled with pain, both from the stabs of the knife, and the betrayal of his brothers.

God he was getting distracted again, and so without any further ado he opened the strange book, and as he did the ink seemed to write itself across the first few pages. His eyes widened as he saw such a thing, and he wondered why (though shocked) he was taking everything so well. Perhaps after seeing the others come to life, the dead rise and giants march on the wall he was a bit less susceptible to being surprised? Either way, he was thankful, he was sure if this had happened to his old self he would have fainted in shock. Thankfully he had some hardiness to him now, and he was sure that was the only thing keeping him conscious.

It was then he focused back on the book, and the scrawl now across the pages, and he felt his breath quicken as he read…

**Welcome Jon Snow.**

**You have FIVE lives left, as you are the PTWP you can carry on. All wounds/injuries/afflictions from the last run-through have been reset, as have all traits/statistics/perks. During the last run, you did not activate any checkpoints, (checkpoints are special areas/events that you may use to 'save' your progress, we highly recommend you use them), and thus you start once more at the beginning of the story.**

What in the ever-loving fuck? What was going on? Lives, wounds, checkpoints? It was gibberish, and yet in some strange way Jon understood. In his old life, he had died, stabbed by his own brothers, was this some kind of reset? Time travel that would allow him to live out life again perhaps? It made no sense, and yet somehow it did. God his head was starting to ache. Automatically he reached out to Ghost who was still curled up on the bed next to him and ran his fingers through his fur, such a motion comforted him, and he carried on reading.

**STATISTICS:**

**Jon Snow: Level 2, (Automatic Level Up).**

**HP: 100/100 (HP is Health, it will go down if you are injured/tired/underfed/poisoned)**

**STR: 10 (STRENGTH, how strong you are).**

**PER: 5 (PERCEPTION, how well you perceive things).**

**END: 10 (ENDURANCE, your level of stamina).**

**CHA: 5 (CHARISMA, ability to charm/sway others).**

**INT: 5 (INTELLIGENCE, including wisdom).**

**AGI: 10 (AGILITY, your dexterity).**

**LUC: 5 (LUCK, how lucky you are).**

**MAG: 5 (MAGIC, your magical ability).**

**These are your base stats (each has a potential out of 100, but do not be alarmed by low scores!) as you have been automatically levelled up to level 2, you will have the opportunity to add to these stats later.**

Okay he was nodding now, going along with it, as what other choice did he have? This was some kind of evaluation of him it seemed? Perhaps an evaluation of him? Again, he was scratching Ghost at the neck, it soothed him, and he pushed on, his eyes taking in everything as he read onward.

**Jon Snow.**

**HERITAGE:**

**Stark (Mother: Lyanna Stark) / Targaryen (Father: Rhaegar Targaryen)**

No! Now that gave him pause, and he automatically placed the book down, and began his pacing again. Had this book, this ... this ... magical device just revealed his parentage? Of course, he couldn't be sure until he asked his Father (and damn right he planned to) … he wasn't a cowardly boy anymore, but a man, a man who had lived years beyond this already.

His mind went back to the words on the page then … so he was still a bastard he guessed, but not the bastard of Eddard Stark, instead he was the product of Rhaegar raping who he had believed to be his Aunt. He sunk to the floor then, his back hitting the wall, his head going into his hands. He felt sick, he had always wished to know of his true heritage, and … and this was it? He was the product of kidnapping and raping? His Father was an adulterer who'd plunged the kingdoms into war, and his Mother had died because of it? He was shaking even more, and he knew after he had finished with this book he must find his Father, he needed answers. He felt sick then and had to take several minutes, breathing deeply so not to faint.

He went to stand up after a while, but had no need as Ghost came padding over, carrying said book in his mouth. He took it from him and allowed Ghost to curl up in his lap. That bought a smile to his features; the Ghost he remembered was the size of a horse, hardly able to curl up across his thighs, but still so loyal.

**Jon Snow.**

**HERITAGE:**

**Stark (Mother: Lyanna Stark) / Targaryen (Father: Rhaegar Targaryen)**

**Stark Bonuses: Resistance to cold, Ability to Warg, Special Weapons (Greatsword, Mace, Dragonglass – all receive +10 and possibility of quests), +1 STR.**

**Targaryen Bonuses: Resistance to fire, Ability to tame/hatch dragons, Valyrian Steel Perk (you can spot Valyrian steel with ease/you have a slightly higher chance of finding it, +10 to this skill), +2 MAG.**

**ROYALTY BONUS:**

**+1 CHA, as your royalty is unknown you will not receive further bonuses from this area until it is revealed.**

**PRODUCT OF LOVE BONUS:**

**+1 LUC, you are a product of two people in love, thus you get a small bonus.**

He took another pause then… he supposed it was true, he had discovered his heritage, but the last line stopped him and thankfully took away the sick feeling in his stomach. He was a product of love? That made no sense, he had heard the story, Rhaegar had kidnapped Lyanna and then raped her, leaving her to die of fever in the South. But then… who had heard that story off? Never his father, never Uncle Benjen, that was Lady Stark's story and the servants who mumbled about it. That thought caused his eyebrows to raise…was it possible he wasn't a product of rape? But a product of love? He was shaking once again, and he pulled Ghost closer, these were all questions his father would need to answer, and so he continued.

**FURTHER HERITAGE:**

**First Men / Valyrians.**

**First Men bonuses: Higher respect from foreigners, Complete resistance to cold (this is void in the Lands of Always Winter), +1 END.**

**Valyrian bonuses: General wariness from foreigners, Complete resistance to fire, Dragon taming/hatching MUCH easier, Incest is acceptable, -1 LUC.**

**Distant Essos Heritage.**

**Essos bonuses (distant): +1 relationship with citizens of Essos, +1 MAG.**

Again, he paused. It seemed this tool, this evaluation of him was taking everything into account, even things he did not know about himself. Was he still shaking? Yes. He had absorbed a lot of information and questions were flying around his head like birds. This was a tool, something to help him now he had come back, he understood that. What he didn't understand was how to use it, or what he could do with it. He supposed it had been useful already, revealing his parentage, though the revelation had just bought more questions, questions he was burning to ask and a slight sick feeling in his stomach.

**BASTARD STATUS:**

**Your status as a bastard (at least in the eyes of men), means you have a lower level of respect amongst ALL nobles (except for the Dornish), but a higher level of respect among commoners/peasants.**

**This status also means your specific relationships will be greatly affected; for example if someone despises bastards your relationship with them will be MUCH lower, but if someone tolerates bastards your relationship with them will be barely affected.**

**This status also adds -2 CHA, but +1 PER due to your ability to go unnoticed.**

**SECRET STATUS?:**

**A SPECIAL QUEST WILL UNLOCK THIS SECTION.**

The sight of his bastard status bought a scowl to his lips, he despised the stain of being as such, despised how many people looked down on him for it. Naturally he thought of Lady Stark, but then his eyes widened as he realised; Lady Stark hated him believing him to be her husband's bastard, a disgrace, a sign of his dishonour … but according to this he was no such thing. Was he still a bastard? Yes, but he was not Eddard Stark's bastard. That caused his insides to tighten, and he felt a flare of rage go through him; he'd been treated like dung by Lady Stark his entire life, always excluded, picked on and put down, and the reasons behind her behaviour were false! He felt indignant then, and after his discussion with his now Uncle he would also be having a word with Lady Stark.

Again, he had to remind himself to cool his own temper. One thing he had to remember was that he had come back yes, but presumably no one else knew that, they were simply living their normal lives, as they had been at this time. He had to act like he was the same. He couldn't be acting like the man he had become as he didn't want people to become suspicious. He knew this tale would be seen as insanity and he wanted to avoid the less than tender cells of the citadel where raving men were sent. He had to act normal, like himself … well as he had been as a boy.

With a small pause he continued on, once he had all the information then would be time to figure out the truth and ask his questions.

**RELIGION, PICK ONE:**

**(You can only pick one religion to follow, conversion is available at a higher level, but extremely difficult, thus we suggest you think carefully).**

**You have compatibility with the following religions:**

**The Old Gods (Mother's side).**

**The Faith of the Seven (Father's side).**

**Valyrian (Heritage).**

**R'hllor (PTWP).**

He paused then for two reasons. One, he was sure he knew which one to pick immediately. Though not a deeply religious person, Jon did pray and he found comfort in the gods…or at least he had before he had grown up. As time, had gone by Jon had grown to resent the gods if anything, but he shoved that aside for now, perhaps on this new journey he could try to be closer to the gods, to guide him… though he did scoff at his own thoughts then; the gods never got involved in the business of man that was certain.

But… but then hadn't they? As he read each word he was convinced that he hadn't been dreaming the life he had lived, but rather he had somehow been bought back, from death and through time. Shouldn't that make him believe there was something out there? Someone or something looking out for him? He strained then to remember those last moments, curious as to who had returned him to life, curious as to how it had been done. He strained hard, his eyes closing, his hands clutching the book, and then…

Images flashed before his eyes, his brothers sinking dagger after dagger into his chest, the look on Olly's face as he had plunged the final one into his heart. He heard the howl of a wolf, felt the ground beneath him not cold though it had every right to be. It was then more images flashed over his eyes, red hair … the lady Melissandra, the gruff voice of Ser Davos, the hard voice of Tormund's. He felt hands running over his chest, across his arms, and then booming words that screamed across his forehead

_'The ink is dry'_

Then his eyes opened abruptly, and he was back, back in his room, sat on the floor of his room with Ghost nudging him, a look of concern in the direwolf's eyes. He placed a shaking hand onto his head to calm him, and it helped calm the thudding of his own heart along with it. He felt sick, and he was shaking again, he had been bought back, and then sent back, it hadn't been a dream, and as he was calming that same icy, silver glow emitted from the book, and new words were written, but not on the page, rather in mid-air, as though the words were caught in the glow coming from the book. He watched in awe as a delicate scrawl read the following words;

**INSIGHTS INTO THE PAST (PERK!).**

**You have gained a new attribute.**

**Insights into the past adds +1 INT, and allows you to study your past run-through to understand things about your life. Be wary though, the man who spends too much time in the past may fall into it completely.**

Now that was curious, he wasn't even done reading through the book and yet it seemed he had gained some skills. A small smile of sorts crept onto his features; this had to be good didn't it? As much as the images of his death had disturbed him some good had come from it. With a nod of his head, the icy silver glow had now faded, and the words disappeared, and he turned back to the book.

However, before he could read any further his eyes caught that strange word again; PTWP. That was the third time it had shown up in the book! He raised an eyebrow flipping back through, before returning to the current page. There was no indication of what it could be or mean, but he would be sure to keep an eye out for it.

He went back to the book once again, his eyes flickering downward.

**RELIGION, PICK ONE:**

**(You can only pick one religion to follow, conversion is available at a higher level, but extremely difficult, thus we suggest you think carefully).**

**You have compatibility with the following religions:**

**The Old Gods (Mother's side).**

**The Faith of the Seven (Father's side).**

**Valyrian (Heritage).**

**R'hllor (PTWP).**

**These are the only religions you currently have compatibility with; unlock other religions as you explore new worlds through quests or perks. You may pick up attributes from other religions, but your key bonuses will come from the religion you publicly choose now.**

**Bonuses are as follows;**

**The Old Gods: Higher respect from The Faith of the Seven, Valyrian's and other religions, but disliked by followers of R'hllor. Complete health regeneration available at Weirwood trees, and the Children of the Forest/Greenseers are MUCH more likely to aid you.**

**The Faith of the Seven: Automatically adds +1 to CHA. Allows you the option of joining the Faith Militant. Disliked by followers of R'hllor but tolerated by followers of The Old Gods.**

**Valyrian: High Valyrian is learnt at a significantly faster rate, Higher chance of finding Valyrian Steel. Higher chance of dragon taming/hatching, Incest is allowed, and this religion automatically grants the attribute 'Dragon Dreams' (Semi-prophetic dreams and the ability to look into your dreams for answers).**

**R'hllor: Lower respect from those of other religions due to R'hllor's lack of religious tolerance. Much higher respect from those living in Asshai/followers of R'hllor. Automatically grants the attribute 'Look into the flames' (Can look into and understand prophecies in fire). Automatically gain +1 MAG, but -1 INT.**

He realised as he finished the page this was the first time he was being asked to do something. Furrowing his brow, he read back over. Of course, the obvious choice was the Old Gods, the religion of North-Men, his family and the religion he had been raised with. The perks seemed good as well. However, he couldn't help but cast a glance at R'hllor. If his look into the past was correct it had to be Lady Melissandra who had bought him back, and she was a red priestess of the religion … surely that made it worth considering? Still as he read it over he shook his head; he was of the North, regardless of his newly learned heritage, and he had followed the Old Gods his entire life. With a nod, he looked at the religion he intended to choose, and then he was stumped slightly … how was he supposed to pick it. With a bite down on his lip he pressed his finger to the Old Gods section and to his surprise (and relief), the same icy/silver glow emitted and suddenly the section changed;

**RELIGION CHOSEN: THE OLD GODS.**

**The Old Gods: Higher respect from The Faith of the Seven, Valyrian's and other religions, but disliked by followers of R'hllor. Complete health regeneration available at Weirwood trees, and the Children of the Forest/Greenseers are MUCH more likely to aid you. _CHOSEN RELIGION._**

**The Faith of the Seven: Automatically adds +1 to CHA, Allows you the option of joining the Faith Militant. Disliked by followers of R'hllor, but tolerated by followers of The Old Gods. _REFUSED – ABILITY TO UNLOCK FAITH BONUSES STILL POSSIBLE THROUGH QUESTS, HOWEVER YOU HAVE GIVEN UP ALL RIGHT TO BECOME A SEPTON/JOIN THE FAITH MILITANT._**

**Valyrian: High Valyrian is learnt at a significantly faster rate, Higher chance of finding Valyrian Steel. Higher chance of dragon taming/hatching, Incest is allowed, and this religion automatically grants the attribute 'Dragon Dreams' (Semi-prophetic dreams and the ability to look into your dreams for answers). _REFUSED – ABILITY TO UNLOCK VALYRIAN BONUSES STILL POSSIBLE THROUGH QUESTS. DUE TO THE FAMOUS 'VALYRIAN RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE' THIS RELIGION HAS A SYNCRATIC ABILITY AT A HIGHER LEVEL._**

**R'hllor: Lower respect from those of other religions due to R'hllor's lack of religious tolerance. Much higher respect from those living in Asshai/followers of R'hllor. Automatically grants the attribute 'Look into the flames' (Can look into and understand prophecies in fire). Automatically gain +1 MAG, but -1 INT. _REFUSED – DUE TO R'HLLOR'S LACK OF TOLERANCE FOR OTHER RELIGIONS THE ABILITY TO GAIN R'HLLOR BONUSES IS NOW LOCKED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE PTWP YOU MAY RECEIVE SPECIFIC BONUSES FROM THIS RELIGION THROUGH SPECIAL QUESTS._**

There it was again! The strange collection of letters – PTWP. He shook his head, and turned the page, this felt like a bit too much and yet he knew he had to continue, and thus he did, confused but happy with his choice of religion.

**YOUR CURRENTLY BASE: WINTERFELL.**

**This gives you the following bonuses (remember, bonuses change wherever you are living in the world, you will only receive these bonuses as long as you remain where you are. Similar places have similar bonuses, but foreign places will have extremely different bonuses).**

**Place to store items (Jon's bedroom).**

**Bed to sleep in – due to the quality of the bed, each night you sleep in it will fully restore your health (though will not cure poisoning, or heal injuries, for this you must see a Maester or as a follower of the Old Gods go to a Weirwood tree).**

**Ability to look into the history of the Stark's and the First Men, and the ability to gain further attributes/skills related to; The North, the Starks, the First Men.**

**Closer relationships with the Starks/Northern families, but more distant relationships with Southerners.**

Jon paused once more to take stock of things. It was nice to see he got bonuses for living with the Stark's even if he wasn't officially one. He nodded then, absorbing more information as he went before turning the page, his eyebrows shooting up and a smile creeping onto his features as he read over the next section.

**PERKS:**

**Perks you may gain through levelling up, completing specific quests, levelling up your combat abilities, randomly or through reading 'special' books. You start with 0 but may pick 3 from the following 6 to add. Perks can be random/come from heritage/religion/status. Your first perks are available from the latter 3. Also be aware, not all perks will show up, better perks become available as you level up.**

**Walk With Direwolf's (First Men perk), +5 relationship with ALL direwolf's, Higher ability of warging with direwolf's, +10 to 'animal knowledge' and +20 to warging.**

**Fly With Dragons (Valyrian perk), +5 relationship with ALL dragons, -5 relationship with all other creatures. +10 to magic knowledge, +5 to animal knowledge.**

**Speak The Tongue (Valyrian perk), +50 to high Valyrian speaking/reading/writing (making you competent in all areas), +10 relationship with other Valyrians.**

**Accepting Your Status (Bastard perk), -1 CHA, +1 PER, -20 relationship with those who do not tolerate bastards, +5 relationship with those who do.**

**The Faces (Old Gods perk), +1 INT, Ability to warg into Weirwood trees to understand the past (though this is a GREAT drain on health), -5 relationship with followers of other religions.**

**Home Is The Heart (Winterfell perk), Unlock the map of the North, including quest icons, valyrian steel spots and 'danger' areas.**

**A Home Away From Home (Valyrian perk), Unlock the map of Valyria, including quest icons, valyrian steel spots, dragon dens and 'danger' areas. This will also unlock the SPECIAL QUEST: THE DOOM.**

As he looked over the attributes he didn't even take a moment to be surprised, instead he felt excitement! He could get any of these! He glanced then at how many he could choose; three. With a nod his eyes began to scroll over each one in turn.

The first to be picked was **'Walk With Direwolf's'** he glanced at Ghost then with a smile, of course he'd pick a skill that helped him with his ever-faithful companion. He ignored the dragon one completely, he may have been half dragon, but what use were dragons? Though not gone from the world, he only knew of three, three that were no use to him or even hatched yet, all bonded to the Targaryen girl across the Narrow sea, the one they'd heard whispers about even as far North as the Wall. That was enough to distract him, he had a living family member left on his Father's side … Daenerys he'd heard her be called, his Aunt. It was then he remembered too, he had Aemon, alive again at Castle Black and his Grandfather. By gods, he'd spent years with the man and never realising…but now he knew.

He had family from his Father's side and his Mother's. A feeling of warmth blossomed in him then, he wasn't as isolated as he had thought, he knew his Mother … well he may never have known her in person but he'd heard small stories about her, and it made him smile, the idea that he know knew some things about his Mother, it was better than nothing.

With a shake of his head he went back to his choices, and after selecting **'Walk with Direwolf's'** and disregarding the dragon perk he moved on, though he understood that **'Speak The Tongue'** and **'Accepting Your Status'** could be useful, he was drawn more to ' **The Faces'** , another religious perk that seemed too good to be true, and then finally **'Home Is The Heart'** seemed the obvious choice, as he felt he'd have no need to go to Valyria. With a nod he selected those three. He tapped them as he had when choosing a religion and with that same icy blue glow they were 'Unlocked', the rest were greyed out with a small lock symbol by them, though as he read the last words on the page, he realised he could still get those attributes, but only when he earned 'perk points' or unlocked them randomly or through quests.

It seemed he was figuring this whole thing out, and quickly he did a mental run through in his head, he had base stats enhanced by his heritage, religion and attributes, and he could unlock further attributes to raise his stats and give him bonuses. He could also randomly achieve further stats and bonuses, and through quests. With a nod (and trying not to contemplate how strange it all was), he turned to the last few pages.

**Jon Snow**

**HP: 100/100**

**Level 2: 0/1000XP**

**BASE STATS:**

**STR: 11**

**PER: 6**

**END: 11**

**CHA: 4**

**INT: 7**

**AGI: 10**

**LUC: 5**

**MAG: 9**

**You may place twenty points in any areas, and you will be able to do this again as you level up (levelling up can be done through completing quests), also as you level up you have the option to add ten points to 'GENERAL' skills for each point you could add to BASE STATS. Thus for each level you can add 10 points to BASE STATS, or 100 points to GENERAL SKILLS.**

He nodded then and immediately went about adding to each one. Since he maxed out at 100 for each one, he went to Strength first and rounded it up to 20, placing 9 points in it, hopefully getting him somewhere near where he had been. He didn't want to be a giant, he just wanted to be able to fight like he had used to, and for that strength was required.

That left him 11 points, and immediately he placed 4 in Perception followed by 4 to Endurance. 2 then went to Agility, with the final point put in to Intelligence. He paused then and reluctantly took a point from Strength to go to Intelligence. He left Luck and Magic as to him they were the least important for the moment. He nodded to himself then and looked over the final stats. He knew he was tempted to simply get things like his Strength and Endurance to where they had been, but he had to be smart, and try to improve everything, even if it would be a slow process.

**STR: 19**

**PER: 10**

**END: 15**

**CHA: 4**

**INT: 9**

**AGI: 12**

**LUC: 5**

**MAG: 8**

Well that didn't look as bad as before though he felt annoyed at his low Intelligence and low Agility stats, he wasn't too bothered by his low Charisma and Luck, when had he been lucky before? His main focus had to be on bringing everything up, particularly when it came to his combat abilities, that was what he had always thrived in, and though he had never wanted to thrive in it he would again he knew that. He had the training of course, still drilled into his mind from the various sword masters that had helped him hone his craft, but he didn't have the body or endurance anymore, that he would need to work on.

Moving on, he flipped the page, and as expected there were his 'General' skills, it seemed he couldn't add to these now, but it was nice to get a view, and his confidence did pick up as he saw the 'Combat' section.

**GENERAL SKILLS:**

**These are your points in areas you have explored, and more will be shown as you develop more skills. These ARE NOT the same as attributes, as they are all available to you, some just won't show up until you use them (for example, the hunting skill won't show up unless you go on a hunt).**

**These skills can be heightened by practicing in the certain area/bonuses from attributes/levelling up and using skill points or certain quests.**

**Be aware all skills are out of a possible /100.**

**General Knowledge:**

**Animal Knowledge: 20**

**Warging: 20**

**Skinchanging: 0**

**Magical Knowledge: 20**

**Knowledge of Westeros:**

**The North: 50 (Map of the North Unlocked)**

**The South: 20 (Map Locked – See Quest 'Journey below the Neck')**

**Beyond the Wall: 40 (Map Locked past Castle Black)**

**The Iron Islands: 25 (Map Locked)**

**Knowledge of Essos:**

**The Free Cities: 20 (Map Locked)**

**Valyria: 10 (Map Locked - Ability to unlock with perk 'A home away from home')**

**Slavers Bay: 0 (Map Locked)**

**Eastern Essos: 0 (Map Locked)**

**Knowledge of Other Areas:**

**Summer Isles: 0 (Map Locked)**

**Sothoryos: 0 (Map Locked)**

**Ulthos: 0 (Map Locked)**

**Languages:**

**Common Tongue -**

**Reading: 70**

**Writing: 65**

**Talking: 80**

**High Valyrian -**

**Reading: 0**

**Writing: 0**

**Talking: 5**

**Combat Knowledge:**

**Sword: 60**

**Dagger: 50**

**Greatsword: 20**

**Bastardsword: 60**

**Valyrian Steel Sword: 70**

**Bow and Arrow: 40**

**Dragonglass Weapons: 10**

**Mace: 10**

**Hand To Hand Combat: 50**

**Shield Usage: 35**

**Armour Wearing: 50**

**Horse Riding: 60**

**Jousting: 10**

His eyes scanned over the area and he couldn't help but feel better. He had been annoyed at his low scores, and yet it seemed he was doing better than he thought! He had 70/100 with Valyrian Steel! (He was guessing because of his extensive use with Longclaw). It was strange it seemed though his specific stats hadn't carried over, some of his skills had. He shook his head; it was confusing to think about, why had some stuff bled over and others hadn't?

Still he was pleased, and it seemed he was at the end of the book. As he shut it, he heard a click and immediately walked to the door. It swung open with ease and he nodded… it was time to go and see his Father, it was time to get answers to his questions, but before he could step a foot over the door, the same icy light hit the book and he quickly reached for it, and opened it to a new page that read 'Quests'.

**QUESTS.**

**Complete Quest's to gain XP to level up, and to unlock attributes and special skills.**

**Failure of Quest's may lead to negative outcomes, be sure to consider deeply before accepting the Quest.**

**You currently have (3!) possible quests;**

**An Uncle's Wisdom.**

**Talk to your Uncle Eddard about your parentage.**

**Success: 500XP and a !special item.**

**Failure: -1 INT.**

**Your Mother.**

**Visit your Mother's statue in the Crypt's.**

**Success: 100XP.**

**Failure: No Consequence.**

**Defeat Robb in a fight.**

**Success: 100XP, 5 Gold Dragons.**

**Failure: -5 Gold Dragons.**

With a nod, he tucked the book into the inner pocket of his cloak but only after selecting the quest to speak to his Uncle (it was odd to call him that), since he figured he was going to do it anyway...why not gain some experience from it? And so, with a deep breath, he secured his weapons belt and stepped out of his room. Quest or no, he needed to speak with his Uncle. His mind was still processing all that had happened, but at the front of his mind were burning questions, and they took precedence over anything else.

Part of him knew he should be asking the bigger questions: why had he been sent back? What did it mean? When was it exactly? And yet Jon had always been a little hard-headed and the book had enticed him so. And so, without considering that a much bigger picture was at play, Jon strode down the corridor, Ghost at his heels.

It was time to learn the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soo thoughts? 
> 
> pls let me know what you thought and I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> speak soon


	2. The Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone.
> 
> I got a positive response to the first chapter and hell I've written the first six chapters anywho, so here we go!  
> pls let me know whatcha think, I always appreciate feedback. 
> 
> so here it is, pls enjoy.
> 
> songrecommendations: jon snow's theme - ramin djawadi

He went to leave his room, but he found himself pausing as he reached the door. He went to run a hand over his faithful direwolf's fur but of course his hand touched only air. Ghost was smaller now, and it would take him a while to reach the size he had been. Jon knew he would grow even larger than he had been in the past as the years went on and Jon would ensure that Ghost was by his side always, he had made the mistake of having him locked up too often at Castle Black, no matter where he went he would not do so again.

He turned around then, as he had paused for a reason. He adjusted his furs, for they were lighter and a little roomier than his old Castle Black furs and took some getting used to, and opened this new mysterious, yet helpful book. He flipped to the quests section and selected the top two: visiting his mother's statue ' **your mother'** and confronting his father … well uncle **'an uncle's wsidom'**. He knew that finding out the truth from his uncle was more important and yet he couldn't help but head for the crypts. The pull to go there, to see his mother's final resting place … it was too strong to resist.

He couldn't stop himself, and so he moved quickly to get there. He had just found out about his heritage, it felt right to go to the crypts and pay his respects before anything else. And not just that, but he wanted to meet his mother, even if it were only her grave. How could he possibly ignore that?

And so, he walked to the crypts. His room was a little more tucked away, thanks to Lady Stark of course. Because he was further away from his siblings rooms he had often sneaked into them when younger for sleepovers but his uncle's wife had soon put a stop to that, at least she thought she had, in reality Robb had just grown sneakier.

He felt a surge of anger than as he thought of Lady Catelyn. All his life she had treated him with disgust, contempt, anger, and it was unjustified! He was not the symbol of her husbands' disgrace if anything he were a symbol of her husband's honour. Eddard Stark had taken him in, sacrificed his own personal honour to protect him. Jon understood now, why his uncle had done what he had done, it had been to save him. He was a Targaryen after all (gods that was weird), and that was a dangerous thing to be, especially in a world ran by the Baratheon's and Lannister's.

Jon thought then, what date was it? And his eyes widened as he realised. Judging by Ghost's size, and as he passed the kitchens, he saw a calendar on the walls, it was only a few weeks until the King would come to Winterfell! Another realisation smacked him as soon as the first one had, the King, his uncle's best friend … the king had killed his biological father, murdered him at the trident.

This was a lot to take in, a lot to understand and Jon felt a bit unsettled. It had been easier being a bastard! But no, his entire life he had wanted to not be a bastard, and now he had gotten his wish. He also would never deny his heritage, from his mother … and father.

Still, the anger was there, and Jon knew he had to be careful. He may look like a boy, but he had the mind of the man he had become. He had to be careful to keep his temper in check and not give anything away. With a nod he made his way to the crypts, hand on his sword. He knew he had to be careful now, more so than ever to not reveal what had happened to him, but it was hard. It was difficult not to go ranting into his uncle's room. Yes, Lord Stark had been protecting him, he understood that, but it didn't make the past treatment of him go away.

He had been treated as a second-class citizen, and he resented that. But then he considered, would he be who he was if he hadn't lived the life he had? Ugh, that made his brain hurt and he shook his head as he reached the crypts. He had much to think on, much indeed, but for now he had something more important to do.

The crypts stood in front of him, dark, the direwolf statues guarding it. He took a deep breath, and stepped inside, down the stairs and further down, the air growing stale, the light soon gone, and torches lit the way. He was here.

It didn't take him long to find her statue, and as he stepped in front of it, he felt tears prick at his eyes. She had clearly been beautiful. His uncle barely spoke of Lyanna, but he had spoke of her beauty and he could see that reflected in the carving. The candles around her flickered, and on her palm sat a winter rose, dead now, but he didn't move it. He would come down soon and replace it with a fresh one, that he promised himself. A tear trickled down his cheek then.

Here was the woman he had been searching for his entire life, his mother. He had dreamed of her, wondered about her, thought constantly about what she might be like, and here she was. She was here, but she was nothing but bones in the ground now, she, her soul was long gone. He felt a wetness at his cheeks, more tears, and once they started, they became difficult to stop.

And so, in the loneliness of the crypts Jon Snow sobbed.

He sobbed not just for his mother, whom he'd never known and never would, but he sobbed for all he had lost in his past life. Not just his siblings, but for Ygritte, his brothers at the Wall. He sobbed for the life he had lived and the life that had been taken from, that he likely wouldn't live again. He knew that in coming back his life would be different, any decisions he made would change thing. Just knowing his heritage and soon confronting his uncle about it would likely lead him down a different path.

Would he ever get to meet Ygritte? Or laugh with Sam? Spar with Gren? Teach Pyp how to hold a shield? And Ed how to smile? Tears trickled down his cheeks as he thought of the life he had lost.

For over an hour Jon didn't move, he kneeled at the base of his mother's statue, by her bones and he sobbed, Ghost at his side, ever faithful, and his wolf howled with him as he felt the tears consume him.

* * *

After some time, Jon managed to rise to his feet, hands shaking. He wiped at his eyes, and as he did, he felt a warmth at his chest, and he realised the book was heating gently. He opened it and a silver glow shined again, and words painted in the air in front of him.

**Quest Completed!**

**Your Mother**

**Visit your mother's statue in the crypts.**

**Reward: 100XP.**

**Current XP: 100/1000**

He slipped the book back into the inner pocket of his furs. He wiped again at his eyes and the last of his tears were gone. He rested a hand gently on the stone that represented his mother's face, cupped her cheek and resisted the urge to cry again, "I'll visit soon, I promise" He said gently, his voice seeming so loud in the silence of the crypts. He nodded again, almost to her before he turned away, Ghost following behind him without a sound as he made his way to the surface.

He appeared in the courtyard again and realised just how long he had lingered in the crypts. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the morning light and he saw he had missed breakfast, for the courtyard was busy and the great hall emptying. It was okay, he wasn't too hungry, he had too much going on his head to want food.

Still, he was late and as he looked around, he knew his siblings … or rather cousins would be in their lessons, as he should be. That was good though, not the missing lessons part for he knew Maester Luwin would make the next lessons twice as hard to make up for it, but it was good that the time of day meant his uncle would be in his solar. As much as he wished to see his family alive and well, he knew he had to sort out the current situation first.

And so, to his uncle's solar he went.

He strode through the courtyard, head down but with determination. He only came to a pause outside as a thought dawned on him. How was he supposed to explain his newfound information regarding his heritage? He had perhaps been too rash in coming over. He had one hand ready to knock when he realised, he couldn't go barging in without an explanation to what he now knew. For a moment he wracked his brains, coming up empty, but was distracted instantly as he heard voices behind the wood.

"Has anyone seen him?" It was his uncles voice, sounding strained, worried even, and as he heard Lady Stark scoff in response it wasn't hard to guess what they were discussing.

"No, and good riddance" Of course it was about him and Jon felt that same anger bubble up in his stomach. He clenched his hand around his sword (it felt good to have castle forged steel at his hip but god he missed Longclaw).

He felt a warmth against his chest then, the book! That distracted him from Lady's Starks cruel words for a moment and he quickly retrieved it from his pocket. The words appeared in front of him again before settling on the page.

**Quest Alert!**

**New Quest: Obtain a Valyrian Steel sword.**

**The possible sword's you may obtain are as follows;**

**Longclaw – Quest: The Nights Watch.**

**Dark Sister – Quest: Egg.**

**Blackfyre – Quest: The Merchant.**

**Reward: A Valyrian Steel sword, and +10 to Valyrian Steel skill, +10 reputation with all people (excluding pacifists), +1000 XP.**

**Failure: -20 to Valyrian Steel skill, -1 AGI, -1 LUC.**

_**This is an active quest; active quests are ongoing and do not have to be selected, thus they are hard to fail. Failure will only be determined if the quest becomes impossible to achieve.** _

His eyebrows shot up as he read over the chunk of writing. A failure on this seemed awful and yet the success bonuses were great. He knew it would feel odd fighting without Longclaw again, for he had gotten so used to Valyrian steel. It was just different, lighter, easier to manoeuvre and much more deadly. He remembered then, hadn't something in the book earlier said something about him finding Valyrian steel easier than other?

He quickly flipped back and found the passage under his Targaryen heritage, ' **Valyrian Steel Perk (you can spot Valyrian steel with ease/you have a slightly higher chance of finding it, +10 to this skill)'.** Hmm, that meant he had a higher chance of finding the type of weapon he favoured so. He had also unlocked the map of the North, and the attribute 'Home is the Heart' allowed him to see Valyrian steel spots. He hadn't looked at the map yet, but he realised Valyrian steel may be easier to find.

He heard voices on the other side of the door again and forced himself to put the book away. He could look into this stuff later, yes it was an important quest, but he had no urgency in doing it now, for now there were more pressing matters.

"Cat, I know you don't like having him…" His uncle began to speak again, but he was cut off swiftly by the angry voice of his wife.

"You are damn right I don't like having him here" He could hear the rage in her voice, Jon knew she truly despised him, "He is the product of your deceit, your collusion with some southern women!" She hissed and at that Jon felt it was enough. Before another word was said he couldn't stop himself from storming inside. He shoved open the door and walked in, seething with anger, a sullen glare on his face, and his hand still gripped the hilt of his sword.

In the past he never would have been this bold, but now? Now Jon had it in him.

Lady Stark turned, her glare worsening as she trained it on him. His uncle however looked relieved, before worry took over his expression. Jon continued to look sullen, to glare, but then his expression softened into confusion a little.

He felt the book at his chest heat again and then he saw writing appear in a beam of light over both his uncle's and Lady Stark's heads. His eyes widened as he quickly read what the writing said. The light was the same silver as in the book, with the same script, though easier to read.

**Player!**

**Eddard Stark.**

**Your Uncle.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 70/100.**

**Player!**

**Catelyn Stark (nee Tully)**

**Your Aunt.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: -60/100**

He took the information in quickly. The first thing he wondered was as to why he couldn't see their levels, and just as quickly as that thought popped into his head did, he feel the book warm at his chest again. He couldn't open it now and resolved to check later, but instead the silver light came in front of him again, and the words appeared in front of him. Evidently the book didn't need to be opened to display stuff, well that was useful.

**Quest Alert!**

**New Quest: Understanding the Rise.**

**Reach Level 5 to unlock player's levels.**

**Reward: You can see any players level (unless they are hidden for a specific reason), +50 XP.**

**Failure: Players levels will remain hidden to you.**

Well that quest seemed hard to fail, and the reward was useful. All he had to do was level up, which was something he would think about later. After about 20 seconds the words and light flickered and then disappeared altogether. His gaze moved to the words above his uncle and Lady Stark then.

Once again, he looked at the information above their heads. He was pleased with his relationship with his uncle, and he was unsurprised at his relationship level with Lady Stark. She was open in how much she despised him, he resented her for it, though even more now when he knew of the truth. It did make him realise then; he should probably confront his uncle about the truth in front of his wife. He never expected a close relationship with her, nor did he want one, but if she knew the truth then perhaps, she would stop trying to get rid of him and treating him with such blatant hostility.

The lights and writing flickered then and disappeared, clearly, they would only be viewable for a short amount of time which was useful, for they were very distracting.

"Jon, where have you been?" His uncle spoke first, worry threaded in his tone, and he watched as Lady Stark crossed her arms, "And why are you carrying weapons? You're missing your lessons, were you hunting?" He was jerked from his thoughts by his Uncle's words.

"Jon where have you been?" His uncle spoke first, Lady Stark only glared with crossed arms, "And why are you carrying weapons? Were you out hunting?"

"Let him hunt" Lady Stark said with a nasty sneer, "What does he need of lessons? He will never be a Lord"

Jon ignored her then and turned to the man he had believed to be his father. He looked that serious face, that was threaded with kindness. He loved Eddard Stark and always would, but he felt hurt, hurt that his uncle had kept the truth from him for so long.

'When I return, we'll talk about your mother'

He remembered those words, on the Kingsroad as they had parted. Would he have told him if he'd ever come back from the Capitol? Jon didn't know, but he was not waiting that long this time.

"No I wasn't hunting" He said with a shake of his head, he needed to approach the situation calmly, and he strived to, but it was difficult, "U…father, I need to talk to you about something important" He said, he watched as his uncle glanced at his wife, and yet she only glared, she would not leave unless she was told. Good, Jon wanted her to know.

"What is it Jon?" His uncle was quiet, and Jon could see the worry on his face.

"Who is my mother?" He said, taking a step forward. He didn't spare Lady Catelyn a glance, his eyes fixed and focused on the man who had raised him. He saw doubt and worry flicker in his gaze.

"Jon, now is hardly the time..."

"Now is the time" He cut him off, used to hearing such a phrase. Jon had often asked about his mother when he was a boy and his uncle would always use that same phrase. "I need you to tell me, I need to know" He said. He was unsure how to carry on, but he took a deep breath and he knew then, he knew that if he wanted the truth he could not back down, he had to push through what his uncle would try to hide, and there was only one way to do that.

"I know you're not my father" He said, and he ignored Lady Stark's gasp of shock. He saw his uncle's eyes widen, and he knew immediately that the book told the truth, and Jon had to consider if it were telling the truth about this then likely everything else in it was the truth too. He could see the guilt and worry and fear in Eddard Stark's eyes, the book had spoken true.

"Cat, you need to leave" Eddard spoke through gritted teeth, and he strode around the desk, stood behind it and rested his palms on the wood, every line in his body tense. "Now" He saw Lady Stark glare harder then, shake her head, she did not move.

"No, what is the boy talking about?" She said, anger evident in her tone and expression, "Tell me, I will not be deceived!"

"The boy is stood right here" Jon said, his tone harsh for he could not resist, "Uncle" He paused then and he saw Eddard Stark almost crumple, he leaned back from the table then and his head fell to his hands, "Let her stay, perhaps if she knows the truth she won't treat a motherless child like dirt on her shoe" He spoke boldly and harshly, and he watched as she looked shocked at his harsh words, but he didn't care, his focus was for his uncle.

"Fine" His uncle said, sensing this was a fight he would lose if he tried. Instead he indicated to two chairs in front of him, "Sit both of you, but not a word of what I say leaves this room, do you understand?" He did not raise his voice, he didn't' need to, his tone and words indicated he would not be challenged, and both Jon and Lady Stark nodded before taking a seat.

Jon moved his seat away from his uncle's wife before he sat down, and he ignored the surprise on her face. Evidently, she was shocked he was standing up for himself, as before he had taken her harshness with a bowed head and not a word, but not this time, not again.

"Ned" She spoke softly then, "Just tell us, please" His uncle gave her a glance before he nodded, and then he turned his full attention to his nephew.

"First, how did you find out?" He asked, and Jon knew he needed an explanation. For a moment he considered showing him the book, but no, it was too much. He did not want to be called a mad man, sent to the Citadel for his own safety. He knew the book would be too difficult to explain and misconstrued as his own insane ramblings. No, it was his secret, and he resolved then it would stay that way. Part of him knew, somehow that the book was meant for him, and him alone.

He wracked his brain for a moment or two, and then the answer came to him in an instant. It was a risk, but a calculated one with good odds. And so, he stood up from his chair, and made his way over to the fire.

Sure, he hadn't tested this theory, but the book had said it hadn't it? It had said he was fire resistant due to his Targaryen and Valyrian heritage, it should work. The book had been right about everything else so far…surely it would be right about this too? Not that he really had a choice now, he needed an explanation. And so, with a deep breath he crouched down near the fire, removed his glove, and placed his bare right hand in the flames. He turned to ensure his uncle and Lady Stark could both see, his naked hand in the flames.

"What are you doing?" Lady Stark cried out, and he heard her hand up abruptly from her chair, the wood scraping on the floor. His uncle too had jumped to his feet, but he held up his other hand to stop them approaching and plunged his hand completely into the fire.

With a sigh of relief there was nothing. It felt warm, a little ticklish even, but there were no burns. He flexed his fingers and nothing. No skin peeled off; his skin wasn't scalded. His skin resisted the burn. He was amazed as he watched the flames dance over his skin. He thought then, back to his previous life … he remembered burning his hand on a lantern he had thrown at a wight, he remembered burning his fingers on a hot pie at Castle Black. He remembered a specific instance in which he and Robb had snuck into the kitchens for a midnight snack and found Sansa and Arya making lemon cakes. The oven gloves were missing, and they were all hungry, so being young and stupid he and Robb had agreed to pull them out together. They had, and they had both singed fingers as they all laughed and ate lemon cakes.

So, what had changed? Why had it burned then, and it didn't now? Perhaps it was due to the book? He wasn't sure, and he was distracted as he heard his uncle growl behind him.

"God damn Targaryens" He grumbled before he sat back down. Lady Stark was looking at Jon in amazement as he stood, pulled his glove back on and made his way to the chair. As he sat down, he saw holes appear in his glove and he quickly tugged it off. He realised his hand was boiling and contact with the leather of his glove had burned it. Hmm, that was interesting to know. He placed his glove on his lap and held his hand up a little, his uninjured scalding hand, so not to burn anything else.

"This is how you found out then?" His uncle asked and Jon nodded. He watched as his uncle reached under his desk and pulled out a dusty bottle that was only a third full. He grabbed three glasses and poured out three large drinks, though he made one slightly smaller. He handed the smaller one to Lady Stark before he handed the other to Jon. Jon lifted it with a raised eyebrow in his uninjured hand. It was whisky, a hardy northern drink and Jon took a grateful sip. The alcohol warmed his insides. He noticed his uncle down his in one gulp, evidently giving himself some courage before he spoke.

"This stays in this room, no one else" He said with a serious expression as he looked at them both, "Jon you cannot tell anyone, not Robb, not Arya, no one, same goes for you Cat, not your father or brother, no one" Lady Stark nodded and Jon did again, took a deep breath, he already he knew the answer of course but he felt oddly nervous as Lord Stark spoke.

"Jon you're right" He said, pouring himself another measure of drink, and leaning over to top up Jon's and Lady Stark's as he continued, "You are not my son" Lady Stark gasped at that, and Jon ignored her, focused on his uncle, "You are my nephew, you are the son of my dear sister, Lyanna" Jon let out a sigh of relief then, the book had been true, this was the truth, and he dropped his gaze, an overwhelming amount of relief flooding him, he knew the truth.

"But that doesn't…" Lady Stark began before she paused and gasped again, standing to her feet, chair scraping again, "Rhaegar Targaryen" She whispered, and he saw his uncle nod.

He watched as his uncle walked around his desk, and Jon felt a hand placed on his shoulder in comfort, "Yes, Lyanna was your mother Jon, and Rhaegar Targaryen your father" Jon nodded, he knew this already but it was still a relief to get it confirmed, to finally know the truth.

"But is was not as the stories say" Jon looked up then, eyes widening, what? "He loved her, and she loved him" He heard Lady Stark let out a sob and he heard the door go as she fled the room. His uncle ignored her though, focus completely on him, as Jon felt true surprise, his hands starting to shake, he felt a little sick, what?

He remembered then 'a product of love', he had presumed the book to be false or it to mean something else, but no, as his uncle pressed on …

"They loved one another?" Jon asked, his voice quiet then, but he was met with an assured nod from his uncle that made him sit a little straighter.

"They did" He said and Jon saw tears appear in his uncle's eyes then, "And my god your mother loved you, she loved you so, so much" Jon felt tears bite at his own eyes then, "I promised to take care of you, to hide you, to keep you safe. I know, I know I robbed you of so much Jon, your name, heritage, birth right, but know, I did it all to protect you, and would again to keep you safe"

Jon was trembling a little now, but he paused, what? "My birth right?" He asked. It didn't matter if he were a product of love or who his parents were, well obviously they mattered to him, but they would have no effect on his status of a bastard. He remembered the book again though, and yet his head felt scrambled and he couldn't fully remember what it had said, something about a special status? In truth he hadn't believed all of it and so now it was like he was seeing it, hearing it for the first time and he was in shock. "I have none, I'm a bastard"

"No Jon, no you are not" His uncle spoke gravely, and Jon felt a bit dizzy. He leaned forward, to place his elbows on his knees for support as his uncle moved around the desk and poured them both another drink. Jon took his and drank a gulp straight away, as did his uncle.

As he drank, he felt a warmth in his chest again, and though he didn't have time for the book right now he knew he needed to heed whatever it said. It had been right so far! Revealing so much, showing him the truth, he would be a fool not to follow it now, and so as he watched the words appear in front of him, he looked, and part of him wished he hadn't.

**Quest Completed!**

**An Uncle's Wisdom.**

**Talk to your Uncle Eddard about your parentage.**

**Reward: 500XP and your SPECIAL STATUS! is now unlocked.**

**SPECIAL STATUS:**

**HEIR STATUS:**

**As the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, you will receive bonuses equal to the level of 'notoriety' i.e. you will get more bonuses for the more people who know your status.**

**Because currently your status is hidden, you receive smaller bonuses.**

**Bonuses: +1 CHA, +1 LUC, +20 respect with those who know your status. Higher respect from all nobles and commoners. Much lower relationship with other claimants to the Iron Throne.**

**This unlocks** t **he Quest: Claim what is yours.**

**Quest Alert!**

**New Quest: Claiming your right.**

**Claim your ancestors throne, the Iron Throne for yourself.**

**Reward: +5000XP, +5 CHA, +5 INT, +5 LUC, Special Status fully unlocked, the crown of Aegon Targaryen will be yours.**

**Failure: -10 LUC, You will be branded a bastard forever and your claim on the Throne will be lost.**

_**This is an active quest; active quests are ongoing and do not have to be selected, thus they are hard to fail. Failure will only be determined if the quest becomes impossible to achieve.** _

It was too much to take in, what? As the words disappeared, he felt sick and dizzier than before. He felt like he might fall over, and the alcohol had worsened that. His uncle stood up then and he heard the echo of his name if anything that made it worse. "Jon?" Again, his name, and his uncle moving to him made it worse again, Jon could see two of everything now, and his eyes widened as darkness took over and he hit the floor with a smack.

* * *

He awoke not much later, though he knew some time had passed. He was in his room now, on top of his bedsheets, and he could feel a fire roaring in the corner. He was stripped down to breeches and a simple tunic now, and he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He opened his eyes to see his uncle, Lady Stark and Maester Luwin stood at his bed. He adjusted to the light then and groaned. At that, all three adults turned to him.

He sat up, shielding his eyes as they adjusted to the light coming through the window. Once he adjuisted he moved his hand to press at the back of his head. He felt a largish lump there, clearly, he'd hit the floor harder than he had thought.

He looked up at the people in his room then and once again that silver light appeared, and words in the light. He strained his eyes to see as he felt a bit fuzzy. He noted they only appeared over the Maester and Lady Stark, not his uncle, and so he quickly read what it said.

**Player!**

**Maester Luwin**

**The Maester of Winterfell.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 40/100**

Well it was nice to know he was in the positive with Maester Luwin. He wondered then why Lady Stark's was showing again, his eyes widened as he realised why as he read over the words above her head again.

**Player!**

**Catelyn Stark (nee Tully)**

**Your Aunt.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: -10/100**

Well that was a significant difference. He looked at her then, and noticed she avoided his gaze. He couldn't tell why but he was sure he saw shame in her expression. His mind wandered then, and he remembered the part in the book about his bastard status, evidently his Uncle had explained the truth to his wife, hence the significant change in relationship with her.

However, in Jon's eyes it didn't and wouldn't change too much, he still felt hostile towards her; how could he not? She had treated him like rubbish his entire life! He sensed he'd be getting an apology from her soon, and though he'd accept it, he couldn't imagine them ever having any kind of positive relationship though in truth he'd appreciate a civil one, for the sake of the family.

"Jon are you alright?" His Father said, his voice gentle as he moved around the side of the bed to look down at him.

"Yes u…father" He said, shooting a glance toward Maester Luwin then, did he know?

"Don't worry Jon, I told the good Maester, now four people in the world know, well five if you include Howland Reed" Eddard said, his expression still strained, as he glanced at his wife, again her expression was one of shame and embarrassment.

"He did tell me, and it explain your state" Maester Luwin said, moving forward to place a hand on Jon's forehead, he nodded as he let go, apparently satisfied and not too worried. "Fainted from shock, as I'm sure anyone would in your position" He said with a nod, "Still that lump is nasty, you'll need a day's bed rest or so before you're back to yourself"

It was then he saw the silver light again, and yet he didn't feel the warmth. With panic, he glanced around and saw the book on the bedside table. Thankfully, it was safe. He didn't need to pick it up as words appeared in front of him again.

**Quest Alert!**

**The** **Old Gods.**

**Use the Weirwood tree to heal for the first time.**

**Success: 100XP, full health restored.**

**Failure: One day's bed rest.**

Well that sorted that at least, and yet there was still so much left unsorted in the grand scheme of things.

"Uncle" He said, straining as he fully sat himself up, "What did you mean? When you said I wasn't a bastard?"

It was then his uncle sat down on the bed next to him, his face was weathered, grey peppered his hair, and yet he was still in his prime. He didn't look it now though, he looked tired, drained and Jon again felt a pang of guilt for putting him in that position. Still, it had been necessary, Jon had needed to know, and evidently the book had decided to withhold the full truth. It was helpful yes but didn't give the whole picture. And so, he needed to know it, his uncle looked reluctant to tell the tale, but as Jon looked at him, he pressed on.

"Your mother and father were wed in a secret ceremony, in Dorne" He said, and Jon was sure he would faint again, married?! He managed to focus and gripped the sheets tightly and nodded, he didn't say a word, not wanting his uncle to stop. He needed to know. "Rhaegar set his wife Elia aside for Lyanna, and they married, and then she had you"

"How did…" Jon began but his uncle saved him asking, clearly knowing where it was going.

"She died giving birth to you" He spoke, and Jon saw the tears in his uncle's eyes, he knew they reflected his own. "On her deathbed I promised I would protect you, conceal you from Robert and the Lannister's, and raise you myself" He paused for a second, "That is why I kept all of this from you, to keep the promise, the promise I made my sister, your mother, Lyanna"

"I'm not a bastard then?" Jon asked, his voice so quiet he wasn't sure he'd be heard, it was also thick with tears, tears that ran down his cheeks now, but he wasn't ashamed. He didn't break down as he had in the crypts but he cried, he cried for his mother, and he cried for the truth.

"No" His uncle said again, reaching out to take Jon's hand in his own, in comfort, "Your mother named you Jaehaery's Targaryen, after the longest ruling Targaryen monarch" Eddard said, "Jon was my way of honouring both Jon Arryn and that name a little, with the same first letter, for I couldn't let you have a Targaryen name, it was too dangerous"

Jon nodded at that … Jaehery's, it sounded so strange to him, he would always think of himself as Jon.

"Technically Jon you are the rightful heir to the Iron Throne" His uncle said then, he had clearly never wanted this truth to come to light, especially that last part, with the implications and dangers it held.

Jon couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. First, he had found out about his parentage which had been enough to knock anyone to the floor, but now he was finding out he wasn't a bastard… he was _royalty_. Sure, the book had told him as much, but to hear it confirmed by his uncle…it was unbelievable. He had thought himself a lowly bastard of the North, and yet he wasn't, technically he should be sat on the Iron Throne. The thought terrified him and gave him a little flare of excitement all at once. The heir to the Iron Throne … raised as a bastard of Winterfell.

"So now you know" His uncle said, his tone filled with grief, "Your mother was my sister, Lyanna, and your father was Rhaegar Targaryen, he..."

"No" Jon said, and he lifted his gaze to his uncle then. He may be a little mad that his heritage had been kept from him for so long, but this man, Lord Stark, Ned, his uncle, had may not be his father in blood, and he would now call him uncle in his mind, but he was the only father Jon had ever had and he had been damn good at it. Eddard Stark had raised him, given him a place in his household, defied conventions by raising a supposed bastard alongside his trueborn children. He had held his hand when he needed a stitch, had stroked his hair as he fought a fever when he had been sick, had yelled at him for being foolish and reckless and had hugged him when he had cried. He had ruffled his hair and hugged him and loved him. Rhaegar Targaryen was his father in blood, but Eddard Stark was his father in name.

"I may call you uncle now, but I will always consider you my father" He said, his tone stronger now, more confident.

He wasn't expecting a hug, and yet as his uncle gruffly pulled him into one Jon gladly accepted it. He didn't want to shed more tears and yet the sob left his lips before he could stop it. He heard Lady Stark and the Maester leave the room then, leaving the two of them, uncle and nephew, surrogate father, and son, holding onto one another.

"I'm glad to know" He said as he pulled back and his uncle nodded the same.

"I'm glad you do Jon" His uncle paused then, to gather his thoughts it seemed before continuing, "But you cannot tell anyone, no one at all, do you understand?" He said, looking directly at him then, his tone serious now, his gaze direct and piercing, "I've spoken to Cat and she understands, she'll treat you better now and she won't ask for your removal from Winterfell" He said with a nod, that reassured Jon some, "We can sort something out for you when you're older, a position here perhaps or your own keep" He was deadly serious it seemed, gripping Jon's shoulders now, insistent, "Make no mistake, if the wrong person finds out about you" He paused then and shook his head, "You'll be in grave danger. You are a threat to the throne, a threat to Robert and a threat to the Lannister's"

"You must not tell anyone Jon, not even your cousins, not your future wife or children, no one" He said, "You must call me father in public, you must not slip up, the danger is too high. I know this robs you of your birth right, but it is too dangerous Jon. I promised my sister, your mother that I would keep you safe, I intend to keep that promise"

"I understand" Jon said, because he did. He knew the danger he was in now, and he knew things had to remain the same. He could hardly make a claim for the throne now! He had to be more careful now, more careful than before, now he knew the truth.

But…

He glanced over at the cabinet then, at the book lying innocently on it. He thought of all it had revealed and the quest it had given him, **'claiming your right'**. Clearly the book did not want things to remain the same, for him to follow the path he had before. Did that mean going to the Wall was lost to him now? No, it was still an option … but was it the right option? With a pang he thought of Ygritte … what if he never met her? So much to consider. He was yanked from his thoughts however as his uncle shook his shoulders.

"I'm serious Jon" He said, his gaze threaded with fear now, "Promise me, promise me now"

"I promise" He said, and he saw the reassurance wash over his uncle's expression. Jon nodded, for now he would keep his promise, he would not endanger his family, that was a promise he made to himself.

And yet, he couldn't keep that promise forever. He thought about the quest again, of that tendril of excitement at the prospect. He had been in power once, as Lord Commander, and it had been good, it had felt good, he wondered then what the throne might feel like … no, he was getting ahead of himself. He could never claim the throne, and yet he had a fire in him he hadn't had before. And so, though he had promised his uncle, he rephrased it in his head.

_'I promise to never allow my heritage to bring you harm'_

That would have to be good enough.

* * *

**Current Quests:**

**Martial Prowess.**

**Defeat Robb in a fight.**

**Success: 100XP, 5 Gold Dragons.**

**Failure: -5 Gold Dragons.**

**The Old Gods.**

**Use the Weirwood tree to heal for the first time.**

**Success: 100XP, full health restored.**

**Failure: One day's bed rest.**

**Bond with Ghost.**

**Train Ghost in 5 simple commands.**

**Success: +10 relationship with Ghost, +5 Animal Knowledge, 100XP.**

**Failure: -5 relationship with Ghost.**

**Understanding the Rise (ACTIVE)**

**Reach Level 5 to unlock player's levels.**

**Reward: You can see any players level (unless they are hidden for a specific reason), +50 XP.**

**Failure: Players levels will remain hidden to you.**

**Obtain a Valyrian Steel sword (ACTIVE)**

**The possible sword's you may obtain are as follows;**

**Longclaw – Quest: The Nights Watch!**

**Dark Sister – Quest: Egg.**

**Blackfyre – Quest: The Essos Merchant.**

**Reward: A Valyrian Steel sword, and +10 to Valyrian Steel skill, +10 reputation with all people (excluding pacifists), +1000 XP.**

**Failure: -20 to Valyrian Steel skill, -1 AGI, -1 LUC.**

**Claiming your right (ACTIVE)**

**Claim your ancestors throne, the Iron Throne for yourself.**

**Reward: +5000XP, +5 CHA, +5 INT, +5 LUC, Special Status fully unlocked, the crown of Aegon Targaryen will be yours.**

**Failure: -10 LUC, You will be branded a bastard forever and your claim on the Throne will be lost.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thoughts? 
> 
> lemme know if you liked it/disliked it, what you think of the mechanics (that is the hardest stuff to write so I love to hear watcha thing about it') 
> 
> speak soon


	3. The Discoveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okaaay this took waaay too long to update, but eh? I have no excuse, I just hope you enjoy and follow this story, it is my baby. 
> 
> I do hope you enjoy this chapter, and enjoy the way I've laid out the mechanics of the video game element - please let me know what you think of the video game side of this, I would love feedback on that!
> 
> hope you enjoy!
> 
> songrecs: seven years - lukas graham

And then he was left alone.

His uncle left the room with a nod of his head, expression mostly unreadable but his eyes still clouded with concern. Jon wanted to reassure him, but he also wanted some time alone, to contemplate his thoughts in peace.

Honestly, everything felt too much for him at the moment and he was thankful he had the mind of a man grown. He couldn't imagine how he would have reacted if he had been told this as a boy, all brooding and quick to a temper. Now at least he was more patient, pragmatic, and he could just about handle the news … just.

With a small groan of pain, he forced himself to sit up in his bed, despite the throbbing head and the tiredness that ran through him. God he was exhausted, but his mind was far too active to sleep now.

He could understand now why his uncle had wanted to wait to tell him, he was barely handling the news and he was older than he looked. As angry as he was at a lifetime of being branded a bastard and ill treatment from Lady Catelyn and others who despised him for his status, he could understand why his uncle had done so. Not just because he might have taken it worse back when he had been a boy, but also … _how_ dangerous this information was. Honestly, it was dawning on him just how dangerous it was, he hadn't even thought of that.

He was a half Targaryen, half Stark… he was something different, something new, and if there was anything he understood, it was that people like the Lannister's, his enemies, they abhorred anything new and different. Half Targaryen… he still couldn't quite believe it, and he shook his head as he forced himself out of bed. He had no intent to sit around in bed all day, not when he had another option now, from the book.

Still his mind reeled back to what he had learned, and what he kept getting stuck on wasn't the revelation of his mother, and his uncle… it was his father that struck him, and the issue that kept coming to the front of his mind.

He had always known he was a Stark, and so even though it was a shock to find he wasn't the son of Eddard Stark but Lyanna Stark, it was still easier to accept. He may have never carried the name, but he had always considered himself to be a Stark, even in his old life, even as he went to the Wall, he had always thought himself a Stark. But now? Now he wasn't just a Stark, he was a Targaryen.

He didn't just have the blood of the First Men running through his veins, but the blood of Old Valyria too.

He decided then, he would need to find out more about the Targaryen's. He knew plenty about the Stark's, about their history due to Maester Luwin's education, but not nearly enough about the Targaryen's. He knew the old Maester wouldn't begrudge him learning about his ancestors, and so he resolved later that night to do some research into his father's side of family history, he knew little about them past the history lessons he had sat through with Robb and Theon. He would need to learn more, much more. He had never been too studious in the past but now he would need to be.

It was then he saw that same silver shimmer come from the book on the bedside table, and oddly picking up the leather book bought him some comfort. He opened it, and saw another quest alert… god they were piling up, weren't they?

**Quest Alert!**

**The Blood of the Dragons.**

**Research the Targaryen family.**

**Success: +200XP, +1 INT.**

**Failure: -100XP.**

Well that seemed easier than others, with good rewards as well. It was strange how used to the book he had become. He supposed with all the new, strange things in his new life this was the easiest thing to accept. After all, he knew now he had been bought back to life, he had died and come back. He also knew his heritage, who his, mother and father were … it was a lot to process, and to have this book? Not only was he quickly becoming used to it, but he found he kind of liked it. After all he would never have known of his parents if not for it, he would have remained in the dark.

The book still held many mysteries, and he knew he would need to uncover those and yet it already felt natural in his grip, already felt like part of him, like an extension of him. He realised then, that would be another thing he needed to do today. His own personal quest. He needed to study this book in more detail. Look at the quests laid out for him, look at the maps he had unlocked and the special attributes he could garner. There would be much to learn but he felt this might be the most important thing of all, this book had helped him a lot so far, he needed to learn more.

He decided then, he'd go to Maester Luwin soon, ask for a hefty book on Targaryen history to study, but he would also study the book in his hand, in-depth, he felt that would be of most importance going forward.

With a nod, he forced himself to stand, a small groan left his lips and he raised a hand to his head. Gods, he hoped this Weirwood tree thing worked, and he was thankful for having stuck with the religion of his uncle and his mother. It would come in great use to him, it was coming in great use even, and so soon as well. And so, with a nod he made his way to the door, he was still dressed, and Ghost was trotting by his side as he made his way out of the room. He only paused to grab his weapons belt and a cloak, the latter for the cold, the former because he was so used to it, he couldn't help it, even in his own home he felt the need to be harmed.

That was an easy thing he supposed, he still considered Winterfell home. It always would be. Even when he had been at the Wall, freezing to death at Castle Black, or even colder in the Wildling camps of the Haunted Forest, he had always thought of Winterfell as his home, his true home. That was no different now, even though part of him longed for the Wall; it hadn't been easy their but he had memories that he wished could still be real in this life – Sam, Grenn, Pyp, Ygritte… all things he wouldn't experience again, not unless he went North once more. He had to think of it then, as he hurried down the corridors and out into the courtyard, his head still banging, making thought harder than usual.

Did he still go North? He strained to think of his memories from this time, and yet somehow, it was harder to remember this time than it was his old life. It would take some getting used to he was sure. But the question was still there, did he go to the Wall? He knew he had been bothering his Uncle to do so for months up until this point, and it might seem strange to suddenly change his mind … but part of him, part of him didn't want to go, not anymore. He felt he had more to do in the South now, more to do here. Everything was so different, and thus… how could he be expected to follow the same path?

Well, he supposed he had time to think. The King would be arriving soon, and he had at least until then to make his decision. In fact, he had a lot to think on before the King came, and he knew after he was healed, he would need to do so. He also had a lot to decide before the King came, for he knew King Robert's arrival would trigger many events that would lead to pain and misery for House Stark. That was another thing to think of.

It seemed there was much to think on, much to plan.

It was weird he hadn't thought of it before, but he supposed he was so overwhelmed with everything he hadn't realised the glaring point right in front of his eyes. He had been sent back in time (he had accepted that now, for what other explanation could there be?), he could change things! Stop the murder of his uncle, save Robb, change a great deal. It would be difficult, but he could do it, surely? He'd have to be careful ... subtle of how we went about things (as he still resolved to hide all he had come to learn, it was too dangerous to reveal everything), but he could possibly change things! Why hadn't he thought of it before?! The only annoyance was that he didn't know all the goings on that had happened in the South before, that had been Robb's domain whilst he had remained at the Wall. They had received trickles of information, but not much.

Still he could do this, he would have to do this! Make change, save the Stark pack, that would be his priority now.

Once out in the courtyard he remained in the shadows, his head down, his hand at his sword. He noted Robb in the practice yard, with Bran, Rickon and Arya (who was hiding but not very well). Rickon sat nearby on top of a barrel, Bran was practicing his archery, Robb instructing him with Theon at his side. Jon felt a rush of hatred as he looked at the Iron Born, but he forced himself to bury it, he couldn't hold grudges for what had happened before, since they hadn't happened yet (though he knew it would be hard, he had to try and separate his old life from this new one … though he wasn't sure how to).

Gods, trying to work it all out made his head hurt, and it was already hurting from his fall. So, as much as he wanted to rush over to his siblings, to spend time with them and see them again after having lost them, he kept quiet, slipped away and headed for the Godswood, Ghost as always by his side.

* * *

It didn't take him long to reach the weirwood tree and he was thankful to see no one else in the area, he was alone. He made his way over to the shrine to the old gods and felt a sense of calm wash over him as he stood in front of it. He had never been overly religious before, but it made sense to believe in something higher up now. After all, something had bought him back, hadn't it? He didn't know what had, and he might never know but it had to be something. And so, it seemed he would need to be a little more devout. He also felt more of a pull now, he wasn't sure if that was because of his resurrection or the fact he had chosen the religion of the old gods, it could be both or either, he wasn't sure.

He moved closer and paused just at the base. He reached inside his inner pocket for the book and read over the quest again, there was nothing else, no prompting or instruction now he was here, and so he supposed he'd need to figure it out himself.

He felt a bump against his hand then and smiled down at his faithful companion, Ghost and ran a hand over his fur. He smiled but went to turn back to the tree before he saw a silver light coming from Ghost. Writing appeared over the direwolf's head, in that ever-present silver light.

**ANIMAL COMPANION (Perk!)**

**You** **have gained a new attribute.**

**You can now see the relationship you have with an animal companion, you can also see your ability to warg with them – the higher the relationship, and the higher your warging ability, the more likely you will be able to warg into said animal.**

**Companion!**

**Ghost.**

**Your** **Loyal Companion.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 70/100**

**Warging Ability: 40/100**

He smiled when he saw the relationship he had with Ghost, his ever-loyal friend, and he noted the warging level too. He would certainly need to look into that further. He remembered Old Nan's stories about wargs and now it seemed there was some truth to those tales. Part of him wanted to do that now, but then he felt another sharp pain in his head and knew he had other priorities for the moment. And so, with a smile he patted Ghost once more before turning back to the weirwood tree.

Jon took a deep breath, and raised his hand to the tree, acting on instinct, hoping touch would elicit something. He felt a tingle up his arm, as he reached closer, and with an urge he couldn't quite explain he closed his eyes, blackness taking over.

But _only_ for a second. Not a minute later, the dark ebbed away, and all he could see was a brilliant golden light, beautiful, illuminous, he couldn't even put it into words. It reminded him of the book, though the light here was a blinding gold rather than the icy silver he had become used to. He could see nothing else, nothing but that powerful light, the light … it made him feel alive. He felt completely and utterly at peace, as though everything would be okay as he basked in its glow. He felt strong, powerful, his heart pounding, hand firm against the tree, the delicate red sap trickling down over his skin.

' _Be healed Jon Snow, be healed in the god's light, as you are chosen, and always remember, remember, the ink is dry'_

The voice boomed in his head, and yet it wasn't loud, it just felt like it was filling his brain. As the voice faded the golden light grew brighter, blinding him almost, and the feeling of strength, power, it only increased, adrenaline racing through his veins. He let out something that was almost a shout and yet he made no sound. At that, he fell from the tree, into the ground in a not so delicate heap, his eyes opening, and the golden light was gone, he was back in the Godswood of Winterfell, as he was sure he had been somewhere else for a few moments.

He was breathing heavily, heart still racing, and he forced himself to sit up, back to the weirwood tree, his head placed in his hands. After he took a few seconds to calm down he realised how _good_ he felt. The banging in his head was gone, and as he reached back so was the lump. Some fresh cuts on his hands had disappeared and he felt completely and utterly refreshed, like he'd slept the night through and then some. Every single ache, it was all gone, wiped clean, he felt as though he was as strong as he could be.

It was then the book lit up again, but he knew he didn't need to open it as the silvery light appeared in front of him and words suspended in the light wrote themselves.

**Quest Completed!**

**The Old Gods.**

**Use the Weirwood tree to heal for the first time.**

**Reward: 100xp, full health restored.**

**Current XP: 700/1000.**

He smiled to himself, he felt great! The light from the book faded then, and he knew it was time to get on with the day, nothing could break how good he felt!

Well, until he heard a crunch on the forest floor, realised someone was here, and that someone came into view.

"Jon!"

* * *

He wasn't sure what he had been seeing, or what had made him follow his brother. All day he had been worried about Jon, when he hadn't shown up for their lessons, and when he had gone to ask father about it, his office door had been shut, and he heard Jon's voice through the wood, yelling… he hadn't heard the conversation, having to run as Maester Luwin had almost caught him eavesdropping. He had been worried all day, and so when he had seen Jon in the courtyard attempting to be stealthy, Robb had made an excuse to his siblings and ran after him, determined to find out what was wrong.

Jon was his brother, regardless of his parentage, regardless of the fact they didn't have the same mother, Robb frankly didn't care. They were brothers, always would be, and he needed to know if his brother was okay, needed to make sure he was okay.

And so, he had followed him, Grey Wind silent at his side, his footsteps quiet as they could be. He had found it odd Jon had been heading to the Godswood, Jon had never been particularly devout; another curiosity surrounding Jon on that day. Either way, Robb followed, intending to confront his brother as soon as they were in the open space, keeping hidden behind one of the smaller trees, as Jon made his way to the weirwood.

However, before he could confront him, he watched Jon interact with Ghost, and smiled to himself, patting Grey Wind as well. As Jon turned away from his direwolf, Robb made a motion to move from behind the tree and speak to his brother… but then he had been stopped in his tracks.

He had watched in curiosity as Jon first looked at a book he had inside his cloak… that was curious, Jon was smart yes, but never big on reading, he'd always been more devoted to the sword than the pages of a book. Strange. What was equally strange was as Robb watched Jon raise his hand to the weirwood, what on earth was his brother doing? He continued to watch as Jon clutched at the tree, falling to his knees. As a bystander, it looked extremely strange. Jon looked as though he was focusing deeply, concentrating hard, but he didn't look particularly pained or unhappy, just extremely focused. It only lasted half a minute, and then he watched his brother fall to the floor (in a very ungraceful manner) and let out a small groan.

That was when Robb rushed forwards, he couldn't leave Jon in pain.

"Jon!" He called out as he ran closer, though Jon seemed okay, righting himself against the weirwood tree, a strange smile on his face. Grey Wind followed Robb of course as he ran closer, stealthy by his side. Ghost was here as well Robb could see, and the two pup brothers immediately found one another, the deep grey and the white direwolfs bounded over to the lake, evidently leaving their masters alone for the moment. Robb was thankful for that, he felt he and Jon had much to talk over.

Robb quickly approached his brother then, he was smiling … and yet Robb had seen him collapse to the floor. Honestly, Robb had no idea what was going on and he knew he needed to talk to his brother immediately. It had only been a day or so since Jon had started exhibiting weird behaviour … and Robb wanted to make sure it didn't continue.

"Are you alright Jon?" Evidently his words made Jon aware of him, and his brother looked at him with shock. However, a myriad of expressions flitted across his face one by one; shock, worry, distrust, before being replaced by uncertainty.

"What… what did you see?" His brother in all but name spoke. He seemed to be settling now, his expression still a little guarded but less confused. Robb had never seen such an expression on his brothers face before … the guarded expression. Jon loved to brood yes, but he was more open with Robb, talking about his troubles, but recently he had been so secretive … Robb wished he knew why.

"I saw you fall after holding onto the weirwood tree" Robb said, believing frankness was the better bet here. He saw Jon calm as he spoke and his brother nodded his head, before holding out his hand. Robb nodded and pulled him to his feet, and spoke as Jon brushed some dirt off himself, "What happened?"

"I came here to pray" Jon said quickly, as though it were a prepared answer, "But I felt a bit weak, haven't eaten properly today"

Robb could see there was something else, but the expression on Jon's face told him not to push it and so he nodded, before the two fell into step alongside one another, their direwolfs soon joining them.

"Why haven't you been around Jon?" Robb asked, unable to remain quiet. They were brothers! They usually told one another everything, Robb didn't want his brother feeling as though he had to keep secrets. It made him worried; what was Jon keeping from him? And more importantly; why was he keeping things from him?

He noted Jon's expression then as he seemed to think on what to say; it was guarded, cautious, and that worried Robb. Jon had never been a sharer true, neither was Robb, but the two made exceptions for one another; he hoped that wasn't changing now (especially since there was no clear reason as to why).

"I've had a lot going on Robb" Jon spoke, and Robb noticed a change in his voice too. His brother seemed … older somehow, there was something in his voice and his eyes that spoke of a weariness, or someone having lived longer than sixteen years. Of course, such a thing was impossible, and yet it was the impression Jon gave, especially as he continued.

"It's confusing, and … trust me, it's not that I don't want to tell you, I just need to figure it all out first, okay?" Jon said and Robb nodded. He wouldn't be dropping this matter, not a chance, and yet he understood. Jon had something he needed to resolve, and then he could discuss it; Robb could respect that.

"Fine" Robb said, and he clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder, "But know I'm always here for you Jon, and if you need any help resolving whatever you've got going on, or you just want to talk about it, you know I'm here anytime, you're my brother, I'm always here for you" He said, the sincerity in his voice ringing clear and true.

That bought a smile to Jon's face at least, though he still looked a little pained and he nodded, "I know" He said, "And trust me, as soon as I figure out some stuff, you'll be the first I tell" Robb nodded, he could live with that, he understood the need for privacy sometimes, for getting one's head together before discussing things. As much as he didn't like relenting on the issue, he knew it was the right thing to do, and so he let it go … at least for the moment.

"Right" Robb said, "So, fancy a spar?" He said, changing the subject, and he saw Jon nod, clearly, he'd suggested the right thing, especially as Jon smiled a little more, and they made their way to the training yard. It was good to see his brother was okay, though Robb knew something was going on with him, he wouldn't push, at least not now, now they would spar, and Robb was reassured that Jon knew he was here for him.

* * *

Jon was glad to have sidestepped that mine, he loved his brother Robb, of course he did, but he knew he couldn't confide in anyone about the mysterious book he now possessed. It was too dangerous to do so, he would need to keep it to himself. Still, it felt wrong to lie to Robb, they usually confided most things to one another, even when Robb had become friends with Theon, they had remained close, and he didn't like lying to his best friend.

And best friends they were, no brothers … when Robb had first approached, he'd seen the relationship they had, and as he thought of it, the silvery light appeared above Robb's head again.

**Player!**

**Robb Stark.**

**Cousin.**

**Level?**

**Relationship: 80/100.**

It was heart-warming to see such a high level with his bro... cousin, and Jon couldn't help but feel curious about his levels with his other cousins (though he still considered them siblings). Still, he couldn't get side-tracked, he had so much to do today, and he decided once the spar was done he'd grab some food, sit down in his room and sort through what was necessary, and what he had to prioritise. He knew without figuring it all out he'd become overwhelmed. He had to keep this a secret, but it meant it was all on him, in the secrecy, the responsibility was in his lap.

It was necessary, that was what he had to tell himself to justify it, and it wasn't just Robb, he wouldn't be telling anyone about his newfound possession. Thankfully, his mind eased as they approached the training grounds, a good spar would make him feel better he was sure, sure Jon wasn't a fan of fighting on the battlefield, he had done too much of that in his past life, but this? An innocent training session? He knew it would get his blood rushing, and it would make him feel good, with all the confusions, and the revelations of the past day he needed that, he needed to do something simple.

He also recalled the quest:

**Defeat Robb in a fight.**

**Success: 100XP, 5 Gold Dragons.**

**Failure: -5 Gold Dragons.**

Hmm, that meant he'd need to put a little wager on this fight, and he needed to succeed, evidently more XP meant more points he could put into his skills. He knew later, after dinner he would need to sit down and go over the book in detail, to understand everything so far, but first he would fight, and he was sure he would win.

"Right boys, sparring or archery today?" Old Rodrick Cassel spoke as they approached, the training master who'd taught him everything he knew, and Jon wasn't surprised when he saw the familiar light over the master at arm's head:

**Player!**

**Rodrick Cassel**

**Master of Arms at** **Winterfell.**

**Level: ?**

**Relationship: 30/100.**

Well it was nice to see he didn't have a negative relationship with Rodrick. In fact, he imagined that he would have positive relationships with most people in Winterfell. Sure, many looked down on him for being a bastard, but he felt he had at least a cordial relationship with most of the people around the castle. It was nice to see that confirmed with Rodrick.

"Sparring" Robb said with a nod towards the man who had trained them both. And he nodded back, Robb grabbed himself a sword from the rack, and Jon grabbed his from his weapons belt, which got him some odd looks… damn he had to remember, walking around armed would look odd. Quickly, he removed his weapons belt and his cloak, and shifted into his normal stance. Rodrick may have trained him as a boy, but he had surpassed any training with his time at Castle Black, it felt odd not holding Longclaw but he was sure he would adapt.

"Fancy a wager Stark?" Jon said with a small smile, since it seemed to be part of the quest.

Robb too smiled back, "Sure, how much?"

"Let's say 5 gold dragons?" Jon said, and his cousin nodded. Right, it was time.

Robb was more of a defensive swordsman and Jon knew he'd need to go on the offensive against him. And so as soon as Rodrick signalled for them to start, he rushed forward.

Almost immediately he overwhelmed Robb's defence, and knocked his brother to the floor in two swings. Robb managed to scramble to his feet, but he looked shocked, and so did Rodrick, as did several of the people watching, that was when Jon realised his error.

He was fighting as the man he'd become! Sure, he didn't have the strength anymore, but he still had the skill, learnt over years of fighting! It would look suspicious to suddenly be the master swordsman he'd trained to be, and he realised with worry he'd need to tone it down so not to give anything away. As he glanced around, he saw his fa…uncle and Lady Catelyn were now watching, as were Bran and Rickon, Arya too since she'd snuck out and was attempting to hide behind the stables. Okay, he had to be careful now, so not to arouse any suspicion about his sudden skills.

"Too easy Stark" He said with a smirk, which thankfully lightened the mood as his brother's expression cleared and he shifted back into fighting stance. Jon would need to tone it down yes, though that didn't mean he had any intention of letting Robb win.

And so, when Robb swung at him again, he sidestepped but forced his movements to become a little slower than before. He couldn't seem too quick on his feet, too skilled, he knew he had grown into a much better swordsman at the Wall, and though he knew his skills weren't at their peak (considering his diminished strength), he knew they were far superior than they had been.

Still, he dodged the blow, and then another, before moving forward and bringing his sword down to clash against Robb's. He swung with each blow, making his movements slower, even stumbling once on purpose. He knew as they duelled he could have beaten Robb with ease, but he gave it several minutes before he finally hit a hard blow that had Robb's sword flying out of his hand, followed by a push that had his brother on the floor, and then he placed his sword forward, and Robb nodded. "I yield!" He said, and Jon grinned, as did Robb when he got over the annoyance of losing. To ease the annoyance Jon pulled his brother to his feet and clapped him on the back.

Quickly, he saw the silver light come from the book, and he already knew what was coming, as the letters appeared in the light.

**Quest Completed!**

**Martial Prowess.**   
**Defeat Robb in a fight.**

**Reward: 100XP, 5 Gold Dragons.**

**Current XP: 800/1000, +5 Gold Dragons.**

"Good job boys" Ser Rodrick said with a nod, though he was looking at Jon a little too suspiciously for Jon's liking. "They're looking good, aren't they my Lord?" The Master at Arm's turned to look at his fa…uncle (damn that was hard to get used to), and Eddard Stark nodded.

"They are indeed" He said proudly before heading back inside with Lady Catelyn, but not before shooting Arya a look to indicate he had seen her, and soon the youngest Stark girl was hurrying back inside, so not to be caught by her Mother.

"Good job brother" Robb said with a nod, "Join me for lunch?"

Jon wanted to say yes, but he knew he had to prioritise, he had so much to do, and so he decided to compromise, "I'll join you to grab stuff, but I need to eat in my room, got some reading to do"

"Reading?" Robb said with a confused expression, Jon had never been big on studying.

"Yeah" Jon said, trying to seem casual about it, but he'd never been good at lying on the spot, he'd gotten better of course, but it was never a natural skill of his. "Maester Luwin said I need to up my studies, so he's given me a thick tomb on Northern Histories to read by Friday" He shook his head as if to indicate he was being forced to do it, "And the dining hall is too loud"

"Ouch" Robb said, apparently convinced, "I've read that one, dull as dishwater" He said, and the two laughed, "Come on then, let's grab stuff" And so they headed inside, Jon was thankful Robb had fallen for the lie, but unhappy he had to lie in the first place. But it was necessary, and the thought struck Jon again, it was all necessary, there was so much he could do, and he didn't have much time to get everything in order.

* * *

Half hour later, Jon returned to his room, a tray of food in one hand, and a leather-bound journal from Maester Luwin in the other, his plan was to take notes of everything in the book, figure out everything. He was close to _'levelling up'_ as well, and so that meant he needed to plan forward. It was a lot to do, and he was putting his Targaryen research on the back burner for now, now he needed to understand this new object, understand everything about it, it would guide him going forward, he was sure.

And so, he set himself up at the small desk in the corner of his room. He pulled out the book, placed his journal down with a quill and ink pot, and began to pick at his food, before opening the book and turning to page one, which was his own personal statistics.

**JON SNOW**

**HP: 90/100**

**LEVEL 2: 800/1000**

_**Summary of Changes:** _

**+10 Warging, Unlocked Animal Companion.**

**Unlocked Medical Knowledge, 0.**

**BASE STATS:**

**ALL OUT OF A POSSIBLE 50, UNLESS YOU GET SPECIAL QUESTS THAT ALLOW YOU TO PUSH THEM FURTHER.**

**STR: 19**

**PER: 10**

**END: 15**

**CHA: 5**

**INT: 9**

**AGI: 12**

**LUC: 6**

**MAG: 8**

Okay so his stats weren't the best, on the low end, but he knew he could push them up higher and higher with each level he passed. The important thing to remember was that now he knew how to improve them. He decided to focus on that tomorrow, to advance a level to ensure he raised his stats. It was hard, having so many priorities, but he felt that getting himself into peak physical and mental shape was important.

**GENERAL SKILLS:**

**Animal Knowledge: 20**

**Warging: 30**

**Skinchanging: 0**

**Magical Knowledge: 20**

**Medical Knowledge: 0**

He was pleased with his magical knowledge, and particularly the parts about animal knowledge and warging. In his past life, he'd experienced dreams as Ghost, but he wondered if now it was time to push it further, explore it more. If he recalled he had a quest with Ghost to complete, he could do that first thing in the morning.

**Knowledge of Westeros:**

**The North: 50 (Map of the North unlocked)**

**The South: 20 (See Quest, 'Journey Below the Neck')**

**Beyond the Wall: 40 (Map locked past Castle Black, see quest 'The Night's Watch')**

**The Iron Islands: 25 (Map Locked)**

The fact he had one map unlocked was encouraging, and for the moment he thought it was important to ensure he knew the North. He would look at the map after reading through the stats. It was curious he had quests to unlock maps, but he wondered if he could unlock them naturally? Hmm… something to think about.

**Knowledge of Essos:**

**The Free Cities: 20 (Map Locked)**

**Valyria: 10 (Map Locked – Ability to unlock with perk 'A Home Away from Home')**

**Slaver's Bay: 0 (Map Locked)**

**Eastern Essos: 0 (Map Locked)**

He wasn't too fussed that the Essosi maps were locked, for the moment he had no use for them, and he didn't need any more on his plate than necessary. The same with the maps of other areas he saw below. For the moment he needed to focus on Westeros, particularly the North … though he supposed if he were to prevent some disasters in the future he needed to know about the South as well. Still, the North would need to be his focus, for the moment at least.

**Knowledge of Other Areas:**

**Summer Isles: 0 (Map Locked)**

**Sothoryos: 0 (Map Locked)**

**Ulthos: 0 (Map Locked)**

That was to be expected, hell even the Maester's didn't have a complete knowledge of these areas! For now he didn't need to either.

**Language, Common Tongue:**

**Reading: 70**

**Writing: 65**

**Talking: 80**

Language looked good, and he felt he could easily raise those numbers considering how much reading he'd need to do in the coming days. Honestly, Jon grimaced at that, he'd always preferred a sword to a book, but for now he'd need to focus on the latter.

**Language, High Valyrian:**

**Reading: 0**

**Writing: 0**

**Talking: 5**

For now, High Valyrian was not a priority.

He paused for a moment then … what was a priority? Well for now he needed to study this book, and then focus on levelling up, hopefully he could do that before the day's end. After that, he'd need to focus on figuring out how to change things that had happened; Bran's fall, his uncle's death, Robb's death, Arya and Sansa's disappearance, so much to change, but he knew the root of it all; his uncle's trip South. So, he would need to focus on that, prevent it somehow. He had no idea how, but he'd have to figure it out.

Then he turned back to the book, he knew figuring all this out was the most important thing, it would surely guide him forwards, it had so far.

**Combat:**

**Sword: 60**

**Dagger: 50**

**Greatsword: 20**

**Bastardsword: 60**

**Valyrian Steel Sword: 70**

**Bow and Arrow: 40**

**Dragonglass weapons: 10**

**Mace: 10**

**Hand to Hand Combat: 50**

**Shield Usage:** **35**

**Armour Wearing: 50**

**Horse Riding:** **60**

**Jousting: 10**

Combat he was pleased with, though annoyed that his best combat score was in a skill he couldn't use without a Valyrian steel sword … evidently the Valyrian steel quest would be one of the most important. Still, he had good skills with a sword and dagger, but he had other areas he could improve upon. Perhaps he'd need to talk to Ser Rodrick about widening his skill base to cover the greatsword, and mace too? Jon wasn't sure he had the raw strength for those, but they were important skills to learn.

Jon had to remember as much as he knew he needed to improve his mind and learn new things, he would also need to get his strength back up, that too was of importance, he'd need to lengthen his training hours. He realised then he'd be forced to have less and less freetime. Now he had to focus. No more dawdling around doing as he pleased, now he would need to train for more hours of the day, spend his evenings reading and sharpening his mind. It was strange, the clarity he now had about his path going forwards.

He remembered before … his past life, at this age he'd been so unsure, so worried about his path forward. Now, he had a clear view. He would need to let this book guide him, whilst protecting his family, and ensuring he lived the life he was supposed to. There was so much he could change, so much he could do. It was clear to him now, and the clarity actually helped keep him calm, helped assure him of what to do.

**Current Perks:**

**Insights into the Past**

**Walk with Direwolf's**

**The Face's**

**Home is the Heart**

**Animal Companion**

**Valyrian Steel Eye**

His eyes scanned down the list of perks, and he smiled to himself, well these all seemed good. He recognised the ones he had chosen, and the ones he had gained, but only briefly remembered **'Valyrian Steel Eye'** , and so he knew he needed to remind himself of it.

But how did he go about doing that? Hmm, looking over the book, he reached his hand forward and tapped on the words **'Valyrian Steel Eye'** , he knew he'd done the right thing as the page glowed silver, and the words about the perk appeared. Well, at least he was figuring out how to work this thing.

**Perk!**   
**Valyrian Steel Eye.**

**You can spot Valyrian Steel spots on the map (maps you have unlocked). Now remember, the spots on the map indicate the presence of Valyrian steel in the area, not the exact location, that is down to you.**

Jon nodded to himself with a smile, now that was useful! He could get an idea of Valyrian steel near him that was available to take! He knew there were many lost Valyrian steel swords, and perhaps he'd be able to discover one for himself. Still smiling, Jon clicked on the **'Back'** word in the top corner that had appeared, and he was back on the page he had been before.

Next was the section on quests, and he paid particularly attention to these; these were important for levelling up, and improving his skills.

**Current Quests:**

**Remember you will always have three minor quests (these refresh daily to earn small amounts of XP, then you will have ongoing/active quests which are usually longer but offer higher rewards).**

**Minor Quests:**

**Bond with Ghost**

**Train Ghost in 5 Simple** **Commands.**

**Success: +10 Relationship with Ghost, +5 Animal Knowledge, 100XP.**   
**Failure: -5 Relationship with Ghost.**

**The Blood of the Dragons.**

**Research the Targaryen family.**

**Success: +200XP, +1 INT.**

**Failure:** **-100XP.**

Okay, those could easily be completed soon and would ensure he would level up as soon as possible! That was good news, and Jon was smiling again as his eyes scanned down the page, to look at the 'active' quests.

**Active Quests.**

**Understanding the Rise (ACTIVE)**

**Reach Level 5 to unlock player's levels.**

**Reward: You can see any players level (unless they are hidden for a specific reason), +50 XP.**

**Failure: Players levels will remain hidden to you.**

**Obtain a Valyrian Steel sword (ACTIVE)**

**The possible sword's you may obtain are as follows;**

**Longclaw – Quest: The Nights Watch!**

**Dark Sister – Quest: Egg.**

**Blackfyre – Quest: The Essos Merchant.**

**Reward: A Valyrian Steel sword, and +10 to Valyrian Steel skill, +10 reputation with all people (excluding pacifists), +1000 XP.**

**Failure: -20 to Valyrian Steel skill, -1 AGI, -1 LUC.**

**Claiming your right (ACTIVE)**

**Claim your ancestors throne, the Iron Throne for yourself.**

**Reward: +5000XP, +5 CHA, +5 INT, +5 LUC, Special Status fully unlocked, the crown of Aegon Targaryen will be yours.**

**Failure: -10 LUC, You will be branded a bastard forever and your claim on the Throne will be lost.**

Slightly more challenging true, but Jon knew he had to wait for the first, was determined about the second, and still completely unsure about the third. It was a true relief to know he wasn't a bastard, to know his parents had been in love, and he was a product of marriage and love … sure Jon would like to be known as a trueborn (though to his bafflement he realised if he were legitimised it would be as a Targaryen … now there was something crazy), but claiming the throne? Jon had never wished to rule, the only thing he had ever truly wanted was to be a Stark.

But now the option was open to him, did he intend to try? He could of course, as he had realised with shock, he was the most legitimate candidate to the throne … god he was the next in line technically. With that thought, Jon pushed the book away and stood to his feet, pacing back and forth now, as the thoughts swirled in his head.

He was the legitimate heir to the throne! As Rhaegar's son, he was next in line. _Good god._ But Jon had never wanted to rule, and he was of the North, not of the South. No, the throne wasn't for him … but he ignored the cancel button next to the Quest he saw, he didn't want to close off his options, even though he was sure being King would never be his way forward.

Honestly, though he had clarity for the next few months, his true path in life was harder to see. He knew the book would guide him, and he knew he had much more to discover about himself, but it was still difficult. Did he still join the Night's Watch? Attempt to go South? Cross the Narrow Sea? In truth, he had no clue, he just hoped the book would help, and was glad these heavy decisions could be ignored for the time being, when he had higher priorities to face.

First and foremost, he needed to finish studying his book. He was at the end of stats, perks, and quests, and now he sat himself back down, turned the page and saw the detailed picture of a map. With a smile he turned pulled the book forwards, and leaned over to study it, it was extremely detailed, and he bought the candlelight a little closer so he could get a proper view.

It detailed every section of the northernmost kingdom, each major house in their own chunk of land (with accompanying sigil), including small diagrams of their keeps, and diagrams of forest areas, lakes, rivers, abandoned keeps, everything, mapped out in perfect detail. Honestly, Jon had never seen a map this comprehensive, not even the ones in Maester Luwin's study, or his uncle's solar. This had every detail, spread over two pages, and Jon had to remind himself not to get lost in it.

Still, he spent a good amount of time studying the map, looking over Winterfell first, and then his eyes lifted to the Wall. Unfortunately, the map cut off at the start of the Gift, but upon turning the next page, there was another detailed map, this time of the Gift, New Gift, and the Wall. Again, this was extremely detailed, and Jon found himself looking over his former home, looking at Castle Black, and he let out a small sigh. In truth, though Jon didn't know his path forward, that future felt lost to him now … how could he abandon the Starks to become a member of the Night's Watch when his presence was clearly needed here? To his knowledge he was the only person able to prevent upcoming tragedies, he couldn't abandon Winterfell to the Wall, but again he had to keep an open mind … he knew where this life would take him?

It was then as he focused on Castle Black once more, he saw a small detail that didn't fit with the map. It was a small circle, the colour silver, and inside was the depiction of a sword. With a gasp of realisation, he understood; these were the Valyrian steel spots he could identify! He could see two on the map of Castle Black, at Castle Black itself, and he strained to read further on the first one he saw the writing underneath the picture of the sword, in the ever-present italic script; _Dark Sister._

His heart was racing, this was one of the two famous Targaryen swords, hidden away at Castle Black! What the hell was it doing there? He had no idea, but then part of Maester Luwin's history lesson popped up in his mind. Hadn't the old Maester told him about Blood Raven? How he had absconded to the Watch, taken Dark Sister and it was never seen again?! Clearly it was at Castle Black! Good god, a piece of history, and he knew where it was! He cautioned himself not to get too excited though as he looked at the other sword at Castle Black; that one made more sense, it was Longclaw, held by Jeor Mormont. Jon remembered then, he remembered holding that sword in his hands, he remembered how it felt cutting through men as he wielded it, and not just men, but the dead too … Longclaw would always hold a place in his mind, and heart in a way, it had been at his hip for years in his old life.

And yet Jon felt that might be the one Valyrian steel sword lost to him. If he didn't join the Watch … then well, it would never be his, would it? Still, it was in the capable hands of Jeor Mormont at the moment. Though Jon realised; changing things at the Wall sooner rather than later, that was something else to add to the priority list, but he shoved it to the back of his mind, and turned the page back to the map of the North, actively looking for Valyrian steel this time.

The first he identified was Ice, here at Winterfell, the famous ancestral blade of the Stark's. And yet … it was the only one in the map of the North … not a single other house held one. Hadn't Jon heard a rumour once, that about 150 blades existed in Westeros alone? And yet many were lost or held by smaller families. Yet the North only held one? How strange … yet, Jon supposed it made sense, if any house in the North would hold Valyrian steel it was the Starks. And wasn't Valyrian steel made in Valyria? Hence the name? It seemed to make sense that the North, who as far as Jon was aware had little dealings with Valyria thus didn't have much Valyrian steel. Jon wondered then … god, how many blades were still in Valyria? Left behind but intact after the doom? How many were around in Essos? Jon wished he could look, but the pages following the map of Castle Black were blank … clearly those maps weren't available to him, Jon wished he could look over them, and yet he couldn't, so he turned back to the map of the North.

He wanted to obtain Valyrian steel, he had a quest for it that granted great bonuses, and importantly it was his highest ranked battle skill. And yet he knew it wouldn't be easy, so far he had three options to get one. He knew where Longclaw and Dark sister were, but the former was likely lost to him, and the latter? He didn't even know where to start! Turn up at Castle Black and do what? God, this was giving him a headache, and he decided for now he'd put the book to rest, there was a lot to think on, and yet he'd learnt a lot today, a lot of important information going forward.

And yet the Valyrian Steel quest kept niggling at his mind ... why was he focusing on this? Perhaps because it was the easiest thing to focus on in the middle of all this? Jon knew he had a troubling future ahead ... at least for the next month before the King arrived, and perhaps past then. He'd have to be constantly alert to ensure the safety of his family, to ensure his uncle didn't lose his head in the South, to ensure Arya and Sansa remained safe, Bran and Rickon too, to ensure Robb didn't end up murdered in the Riverland's ... to ensure the pack remained together.

**Family First (Perk!)**

**You have gained a new attribute.**

**The man who puts family first ensures their survival.**

**+5 relationship with all other Stark's, +5 relationship with all other Targaryen's.**

Another new attribute? They seemed to be piling up, and yet Jon wasn't complaining, he'd need everything he could to ensure the future didn't replicate his old life. In truth he had no idea how he was going to change things ... he just knew he had to. He'd find a way, wouldn't he? The book would guide him, he was sure of it. After all, it was a dawning realisation coming to his mind ... why else would he have been sent back? Other than to change things? With a renewed sense of purpose Jon felt his heart warm, this was his purpose now, ensure his family survived, ensure the past didn't replicate itself. And he would not fail, he could not fail.

Jon let out a sigh before closing the book, that was enough for the moment he felt. He glanced outside then and to his shock saw the sun was already setting, he must have been in here for hours! A swift yawn backed up that thought. Though he wasn't physically tired, mentally he was exhausted. Yet this was what he had to get used to now, this kind of life. Yes, he'd still train hard with a sword, but to achieve his goals he'd need to use his mind as he never had before ... it was daunting, and yet he knew it was necessary.

He could do it; he'd held command at Castle Black, had fought wildlings and the dead, planned the defence of the Wall. He could handle this, though it would mean many sleeplessness nights ahead, it was worth it.

But for now he felt it was time to rest, an early turn in would do him good, he could wake up early tomorrow and make a plan, figure things out further, but he needed to be well rested, both physically and mentally first. Quickly he finished up the remainders of his lunch, and then when content, undressed and climbed into bed. He was thankful for the Stark bonus of not feeling cold as he climbed under the sheets and settled in, Ghost jumped up and curled on the end of his bed and Jon let out a small sigh.

Tomorrow he would figure everything out, hopefully level up and make some important decisions, but for now? For now, he slept, and he dreamt of the Wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soo thoughts? 
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed! this story is a bitch to write (I swear for each chapter I have two other docs up as well as like 40 tabs on asoiaf lore!)
> 
> also to let you know I do have a pairing in mind, who would you like it to be? lemme know! as always I appreciate any and all feedback. 
> 
> speak soon!


	4. The First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we gooo
> 
> this chapter has a character in I have a hugeee soft spot for so I loved writing this!
> 
> pls lemme know your thoughts, love, hate, like? tell me all! hope you enjoy. 
> 
> songrecs: the winds of winter - ramin djawadi

He awoke the next morning in better spirits than he had any other day since he had _'returned'_. He felt like his path was clearer, he had some clarity around the mysterious book, and he had some plans going forward now. He had his priorities, and as he sat himself up in bed, he reached for the book tucked under his pillow, settled himself in among the pillows and looked back over it again, specifically he looked over the quests.

His plan now was to up his skills, and complete some quests, he felt that was the best way to ensure his family's survival. He couldn't do much now, a greenboy with nothing to his name, a bastard in the eyes of men, and just a few skills. No, first he would need to up his skill levels and then he could start helping his family in a meaningful way, he was sure that was his best chance going forwards.

His eyes strayed from the book then, and he felt a bolt of panic trickle down his spine. He hadn't even checked the date since he had returned! He knew he was past his 16th name day just by looking in the mirror, and that his fath... uncle had not yet gone to Kings Landing, but when was it? That would be essential! When was the King coming? How long did he have to prepare? He forced himself to swallow, take a deep breath and calm himself, he needed not to lose his head. He imagined he'd have many more shocks and moments of panic over these next years, he could not let anything phase him now, he had to remain calm no matter what.

It was clear to Jon he had been sent back for some kind of reason, and already he had gotten the idea into his head, the reason was to change the future, for what else could it be? Clearly, he needed to save his family and prepare for the wars to come, that was why he was here, and first to make any meaningful difference he needed to get back to where he had been with his skills, and make changes that would stop the destruction of his family.

Quickly he turned to look at the calendar on his wall. It was checked up until a certain date, with a few missing, the days since he had been back clearly. He let out a sigh of relief as soon as he worked out the date. Three weeks, it was just three weeks until the King arrived in Winterfell. It dawned on him that made sense with the fact he had Ghost by his side, the once fierce beast now a little pup. Three weeks he had, it felt like something of a reprieve, but it wasn't enough, not nearly enough … though he supposed it was better than nothing. He had three weeks to prepare.

He wondered then … was there anything he should be doing now? He'd committed to honing his skills to ensure he could make a difference, but was there anything happening now he needed to right immediately? He couldn't think of anything, saving Bran from his fall, stopping his uncle going South, all those required time, and so he was resolved to continue with his previous plan, until he saw the glow of the book in his lap.

**Quest Alert!**

**New Quest: Save Domeric Bolton!**

**Save Domeric Bolton from a grisly death by poison.**

**Reward: Domeric Bolton lives, and you gain +50 relationship with him, +10 Poisons Knowledge. 100XP, add a special item!**

**Failure: Domeric Bolton dies - this will have huge consequences for the future!**

**This is a time sensitive quest! If you fail to complete this quest before the timer runs out, then you will fail it. Time sensitive quests offer less XP bonus, but generally higher other bonuses. These quests are also known as 'storyline' quests, in that they have a huge impact on the future! They will be rarer than other quests, but it is highly recommended you complete them!**

**Time Remaining: 2 and a half days.**

As soon as he read that Jon was not feeling optimistic. How on earth was he supposed to save a man he'd never met? And had no idea of his death? It wasn't even the reward that enticed him, though of course he felt he had to try to save an innocent man's life, regardless. No, it was the failure that worried him, the idea of large consequences - that was something he was actively trying to avoid! Clearly, he had to do something, he already had a million future consequences to entangle, he did not want to add another to the mix.

God, he felt tired, and he had just woken up.

He mulled for a moment over what those consequences could be and strained to think of anything he knew about Domeric Bolton. Jon knew he was Heir to the Dreadfort, and was currently squiring somewhere in the Veil … no wait, he was returning soon, wasn't he? Well at least there was something that added up, clearly Domeric was going to be killed in the North, but how? And by who? Again, Jon strained to think, and then of course it dawned on him, as he felt a flash go through his brain, and for a moment he felt as though he was pulled back, back to his old life.

' _They have her'_

_'Arya?'_

_'At Winterfell'_

It was just a glimpse, a look at a minute-long conversation, and yet it all came flooding back to Jon then. With a grimace Jon heaved himself out of bed. He now knew the identity of Domeric's killer and what the _'consequences'_ of the Heir to Dreadforts death would be. How had he not realized before? It made sense now, and he knew he had no choice. Looking over the content of his book and levelling up his skills would have to wait.

He had a Bolton to save.

* * *

After a hurried breakfast (thankfully he had always been an earlier riser than his siblings), and then a run back to his room, his head kept down to avoid conversation, Jon had a plan … at least the idea of a plan … somewhat.

He knew saving Domeric was essential now, to avoid a future with Ramsey Bolton as Lord of Winterfell. It also dawned on him, a closer relationship with Roose Bolton to the Starks wouldn't hurt either. Yes, this was important now, not a quest he could fail, that much was clear to him. He also had an idea of how to be getting on with things. He had no doubt that Ramsey Snow was his elder half-brothers' killer, and he remembered a bit of conversation he had heard from Stannis at Castle Black, his mind rolling back to his past life once more …

' _Ramsey Snow, the bastard born at the Weeping Water holds your home now'_

The Weeping Water, a two-day ride from Winterfell (if he was swift) and that was where he had to go. He was sure that was where he would find Ramsey, and perhaps a curious Domeric visiting his brother? He presumed that was how the boy had met his demise; too trusting, too naive. He recalled that Domeric was Roose's only child, ahh he could understand that now. Loneliness, a desire for a sibling, a desire for a wider family. Jon was sure he was on the right track, and so ride to the Weeping Water he would.

Two days to get there, and then a few hours to find Ramsey and/or Domeric and put a stop to the heir's death … it wouldn't be easy, but he couldn't afford to fail. Not just because of the quest, but because of Domeric … he would be saving an innocent man here, and that alone was something important.

Jon may have woken a boy once again (though with the mind of a man), he may have been distracted by the book, and the intense desire to right things with the Starks, but he was still the same man. Bound by honour that had been bred into him by his uncle, and duty, another Stark trait … and a Targaryen in many ways too. He was still that same man, one who would always place the importance of others over himself. Even with the fleeting thoughts he'd had about the southern throne, that would not change, that would never change. It was reassuring almost, so much had happened, his life before him was long gone and yet he still held the same priorities. It was nice to know and gave him some warmth as he went forward.

In the past he had sacrificed personal honour when necessary, to help others, and he would do the same again, but it was important to stand beside his principles, of duty, of honour, he was not the man he had been at this age but he still valued those.

He began to pack then, a small bag to put on the side of his horse, some provisions, some silver. He re-dressed himself quickly, not into full armour, but instead a tunic, followed by his leathers, and his weapons belt, holding castle forged steel on the left, and a dagger on the right. The sword didn't feel right, it wasn't even a bastard sword, but it was the best he had, not Valyrian Steel true, but fine Winterfell steel, the next best thing in his eyes. He didn't bother with armour, that would be too suspicious, and the book? He tucked that underneath his leathers, secured with a strap to his chest to ensure it didn't jostle loose. He then pulled on his cloak, a thick brown and black number that was a little old but provided warmth (not that he needed much, especially now with his perks and heritage attributes), and he was ready.

He couldn't help but take one look back over the book before he tucked it away, just one last look over his skills, to give him some reassurance in a way … if nothing else.

**JON SNOW**

**HP: 100/100**

**LEVEL 2: 800/1000**

**Base Stats**

**STR: 19**

**PER: 10**

**END: 15**

**CHA: 5**

**INT: 9**

**AGI: 12**

**LUC: 6**

**MAG: 8**

He didn't have time to leaf through the whole book, but his base stats reassured him, they were still low but higher than they had been, with his perks and stats in other areas he knew he was up to the challenge of this quest, and surely the book wouldn't have given him something impossible?

Well, he'd soon find out.

It was time to head out. He'd already left a note with a servant to tell his uncle he was going on a long hunt (something that wasn't completely unusual for him), and may have told a little white lie in that he'd promised to take guards. No matter, he'd be back in less than a week, and with grim determination as he left his room and approached the stables … he was sure he'd be back with success.

That was another thing he'd kept with him, his determination, to see duty done, to right wrongs, to fight for his family and those he loved. That had not changed.

* * *

The ride if anything was dull and gave him some much-needed time to think.

He rode hard, pushing himself just a little too much for the first hour (to which he had to slow for the second and third, he had to keep reminding himself he did not have the endurance he once had), and from that he learned his lesson, keeping a steady pace that would get him to the Weeping Water in time, and more importantly in one piece. The cold wouldn't harm him as it did others, but he still had to be wary of tiredness, and so he didn't want to push himself too hard, lest he injure himself through exhaustion or run out of steam.

Still, he was fast, as he had to be to reach his destination in time. His swift pace also discouraged bandits (not that he was worried about coming across any, but he did not need to waste time), and he had plenty of food, so he didn't have to pause at inns or taverns. He felt he was doing well and had come up with a good plan … at least a good one that he'd quickly put together in under an hour. Now he just had to make his way there and stop a mysterious plot to kill the Heir to the Dreadfort; all in under two days.

It sounded _impossible_ when put like that.

If there was one useful thing about a two day ride, it was that it gave him plenty of time to think, plenty of time to go over the contents of the book in his head, and go over whatever plans he had going forward. They had been stalled for this quest he'd been given, but once he was back in Winterfell, he knew he had a long journey ahead to ensure the Starks didn't destroy themselves, to ensure the pack remained together. He would defend them all, he would make sure they remained together, and with his knowledge he had some hope he could do so.

It had all started with Jon Arryn, but to Jon's remorse he was too late to save the man he had been named for. The next step then would be saving Bran from falling from the tower, and crucially he had to stop his uncle from becoming Hand of the King. In truth he had no idea how to do that, for his uncle prided himself on his honour, loyalty, and duty; how would he stop him going South? If his uncle didn't go South then neither would Sansa and Arya, and Eddard Stark wouldn't end up dead, and his sisters … cousins, wouldn't be alone and scattered. He knew what he had to do, what he had to prevent. The only problem was, he had no idea how to do it. How did he stop his uncle from going South? That was a problem that he had _no idea_ how to solve.

And yet he knew at the moment he had to focus on this problem, on finding Ramsey Snow and Domeric Bolton, to stop the former slaying the latter. He went over and over it in his head, but he knew he had little choice. Once he arrived at the Weeping Water, he'd need to find wherever Ramsey was staying and end him before he had a chance to kill his brother. He didn't like the idea of murdering a man who'd yet to do any wrong (though from the tales Jon had heard in his previous life, he doubted Ramsey's soul was clean), but it was necessary. It was necessary to save Domeric, an innocent man. He didn't know much about the Heir to the Dreadfort, but the occasional mention had him knowing that Domeric was apparently a good man, a good man Jon would save.

He had to stop at night for a few hours' sleep, but he slept for no more than three, and then was back on the trail. He repeated the same a little later, before finally he knew he'd reached his destination.

He could see the flow of the river and could see a small village set up on its banks a little further away. He knew this had to be the place. It was the closest settlement to the Dreadfort, and it made sense Roose would keep Ramsey here, a place to keep an eye on him but have him far enough away from home. Jon knew he'd arrived at the right place, and though he felt tired and hungry, he had arrived just in time, it had taken just over two days of riding, but he was here. He was sore, but that didn't matter as he continued onward, his poor horse lagging a little now, as he came upon the small village.

As he arrived, he left his horse with a stable master nearby, paying him well to feed the steed he'd near worn out. He grabbed himself a cup of soup from a market stall, drinking his first hot meal in two days down quickly, before he placed the cup back on the stalls wooden serving area, checked his weapons belt and made his way forward. He didn't even know where to start, but he felt that the stall serving ale was his best bet for some town gossip and directions.

He approached cautiously, laid down a silver stag on the wood, and looked across at the man serving. The common man's eyes lit up at the silver, but he showed little shock, nodding his head as Jon spoke.

"I'm looking for Ramsey Snow" Jon said simply, he didn't want to explain why he was here, and instead hoped the coin would do the talking for him.

"Gathered as much" The bar hand said with a nod, "You're the second in the last hour! Though the lad before you gave me gold" He shrugged then before carrying on, "He's at the last house, little further away from anyone else, but be careful, he's an odd lad, with that strange boy he keeps round him all the time, stinks he does, it is a strange situation over there" It was all he had to say and Jon nodded in thanks, hurrying his pace to where he was running now, for he knew time was of the essence.

Domeric had been asking around for Ramsey's location, which meant he was already here, and that meant he did not have much time. Jon ran, finding the house quickly, as it stood apart from the rest further away from the main village. He was fast, and in less than ten minutes he was bursting through the door, his sword drawn, his eyes wide.

As soon as he stood in place, he could see the surprise both on Ramsey's face, and then the boy he presumed to be Domeric. He was not welcome as Ramsey grabbed a kitchen knife, and Domeric unsheathed his own sword, though the latter also had a goblet of wine in hand he had just placed down, thankfully Jon could see it was full.

He only hesitated for a second, as the glow from the book hit him with a familiarity, and he saw the hovering signs over the two boys' heads.

**Player!**

**Ramsey Bolton.**

**Bastard of Roose Bolton.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 0/100**

**Player!**

**Domeric Bolton.**

**Heir to the Dreadfort.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 0/100**

He noted both and was unsurprised at the **'0'** relationship he had with both. He knew neither of them, nor they did not know him. Though they'd be better acquainted now … at least for a short while.

He needed to focus and his gaze went back to the scene in front of him, and to the wine goblet on the table, if he were a betting man he was sure that was the wound-be murder weapon, no doubt poison in the cup.

And so, it was the first thing he went for. Quickly he knocked the goblet off the table, before disarming Domeric with ease, who had taken his surge forward as an attack. The Heir fell to the floor with a groan and a humpf, and he then turned his attention to Ramsey, who looked both gleeful at his brother being knocked over, and annoyed as he turned to face Jon.

"What are you doing here? Attacking my brother?" The boy spoke with a little curl to his voice, a curl of amusement that annoyed Jon as soon as he heard it. He was grinning even as he held the knife in hand, his eyes wide with a kind of unhinged mischief.

"I think you mean him more harm than I" The glint in Ramsey's eye told him all he needed to know, and he quickly charged forward, his sword severing the Bolton bastards knife hand from arm, before slashing across his chest, the now corpse hitting the floor without so much as a scream. Jon knew it was a little overkill, but he had heard about Ramsey's penchant for games and being thoroughly slippery before … he didn't want to risk it now.

Jon took a moment after Ramsey hit the floor, just one second to take a breath. Killing a man was never easy, even if one had done so a thousand times before, even if the man in question deserved it. In his past life Jon had killed many, in battle, at the block, in many different ways, in battle and out. Sometimes it was necessary, and it was necessary here, as much as he disliked it.

Well, Ramsey was dead, but now Domeric was rising, his eyes fearful, but his stance impressive as he grabbed his sword and faced off against Jon, who in turn lowered his own sword and shook his head.

"Come on, I'm not here to harm you" Jon said simply, "If I'd wanted to kill you I would have already"

"I can believe that" Domeric spoke back, wisdom clearly one of his strengths, and Jon could hear the tilt of the South in his voice, from his time fostering in the Vale, but the northern bite still lay underneath, and Jon nodded at his words, before pointing with his sword to the wine spilled on the floor, though said wine was smoking on the stone now, he'd been right.

"He was trying to poison me?" Domeric spoke again, and Jon was thankful for his intelligence as he only had to nod, rather than try to explain the situation. If anything, though Domeric looked more suspicious as his gaze darted from the wine, to Ramsey's body to Jon then, and the heir did not lower his sword as he spoke.

"How did you know?"

"I was out for a hunt near here, and I overheard him in the woods" There that was the explanation Jon had thought of on the ride over here, for he had no idea what else he could possibly say to convince him. "Speaking of killing you my Lord, referenced you by name, I followed him here"

There that should be enough shouldn't it? Jon knew he could lie when needed but it wasn't his biggest strength, and yet he felt the book glow against his chest in response though he ignored it for now, he would check it later. For now, what was important was this moment with Domeric Bolton, he'd saved his life true, but he didn't need any questions around it, not when he couldn't give answers.

Thankfully Domeric seemed to accept that with a nod, and he sat himself back down with a small sigh. He could see his hands were shaking, and Jon didn't blame him.

"You saved my life" Domeric said, almost with wonder, as though realising without Jon's intervention he would have been the one on the floor not Ramsey. Upon that realisation he stood back up, holding out his hand for Jon to take. Jon followed the old tradition and clapped hands with him. "What is your name?"

"Jon Snow" Jon said simply, knowing better than to try and cover things up, he didn't want to be caught lying if Domeric ever visited Winterfell.

"Ned Stark's natural born son?" Domeric said simply, to which Jon nodded, and Domeric did too.

"You saved my life Jon Snow; I owe you a huge debt of gratitude. Ride to the Dreadfort with me, and I'll see to it you have a reward" Domeric said simply, to which Jon shook his head this time.

"No, there is no need. I'm far from home for a hunt, and I'd rather my father didn't know about… " Jon shrugged almost, "Well about this" He pointed at Ramsey then and Domeric seemed to nod in understanding.

"Well then take this" It was then Domeric reached into the straps of his leathers and handed him over a pin, a pin of fine quality silver, with the sigil of the Dreadfort on it, it was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, but Jon raised his eyebrow in confusion, to which Domeric even smiled, though he still looked shaken.

"Take this and know you will always have an ally Jon Snow, and that I Domeric Bolton will repay this debt someday" He sounded honourable in his words, and Jon nodded, slipping the pin into the inner pocket of his leathers, alongside the book, and he clasped hands with the Heir to the Dreadfort once more, and the silver glow appeared again, showing the stats over Domeric's head.

**Player!**

**Domeric Bolton.**

**Heir to the Dreadfort.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 50/100**

As that dissolved another set of writing appeared in the air and Jon couldn't help but smile.

**Quest Completed!**

**Save Domeric Bolton.**

**Reward: Domeric Bolton lives, and you gain +50 relationship with him, +10 Poisons Knowledge. 100XP. You have now added the 'House Bolton Sigil' to your collection.**

**Current XP: 900/1000.**

He returned back to the situation then and released Domeric's hand before nodding to him. "You should be getting home, as should I"

The Heir nodded to him then, "I should, and thank you again Jon Snow, I consider you an ally now"

Jon nodded, that could certainly be useful he thought, "Aye, allies"

Domeric made for the door then, but paused before leaving, "Until we meet again"

"Until we meet again"

* * *

The ride back was worse than the ride there, Jon was exhausted, hungry and sore. He could not wait to return to Winterfell. The ride took longer than it should have, and he was running on nothing by time he spied the gates of his home. He near groaned as he heard frantic shouting as they opened and he trotted through on his horse, sagging now in the saddle.

But he got no reprieve, he was barely off his horse before Arya and Bran swarmed him, both pulling him down into their arms, clutching at him. He realised this was the first time he'd seen them in days, and as expected, once he looked up he saw the writing over their heads.

**Player!**

**Arya Stark.**

**Your Cousin.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 90/100.**

**Player!**

**Brandon Stark.**

**Your Cousin.**

**Level?**

**Relationship: 80/100.**

He smiled at that as he hugged them both before stepping back, it was nice to see how much they both loved him, particularly Arya who cared for him the most. After that Robb was clapping him on the back, and then to his surprise Sansa was leaping into his embrace, muttering apologies almost to herself as she grabbed him.

**Player!**

**Sansa Stark.**

**Your Cousin.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 40/100.**

**Love: 0/100.**

Well that was new, and Jon didn't even have a moment to think about it as he hugged Sansa back, before his uncle was grabbing him and pulling him into a hug before marching him up to his solar, promising his children Jon would be back down for dinner in a moment.

Once they reached the solar, Jon noted Lady Stark was already inside, her eyes rimmed with red, to which he certainly raised an eyebrow at, before taking a seat as his uncle indicated.

"Jon where the hell have you been?" He had rarely seen his uncle angry, and yet he could see it now as he spoke. "You leave a note with a servant you're going for a hunt, and you've been gone near five days! No guards with you either!" Eddard Stark shook his head then, dashing his hand across the air, "We've all been worried sick! The children were convinced you'd ran away, Arya cried herself to sleep last night, Sansa has been blaming herself and screamed at Jeyne Poole when she called you a bastard. Robb rode out after you before a guard followed behind and hauled him back" Jon was wide eyed now, he had no idea his absence would induce such worry. He felt guilty, and secretly a little bit warm inside, that they all cared for him so much. "I had set up search parties to head out yesterday, where in god's name have you been?"

"I went for a hunt" He said simply, but the daggers his uncle and Lady Stark threw him persuaded him to elaborate. "After what we spoke about … " He paused then, "I needed some time to think, needed to get away to have some time alone" He said with a nod of his head, "I'm sorry I caused such worry" There he hoped that was enough, he could hardly explain what he was actually doing without causing many, many questions to arise. He felt a bit crappy using that excuse, but it was the best he had, he was too exhausted to think of anything else.

"Oh Jon" His uncle nodded then before standing and pulling him into a hug, "I wish you had just said so, not leaving a cryptic note with a servant. Most of us were convinced you'd ran away"

Jon shook his head then, feeling his own tears welling up in his eyes for some reason, "Never" He said simply, gripping the man who had always been his father close, "Winterfell is my home"

His uncle seemed satisfied then and nodded his own head, and released him, and Jon made his leave, he only stopped for a moment as his uncle spoke.

"Come here tomorrow Jon, first thing, ignore your lessons, and we'll talk more about your mother" Jon nodded then, smiled, before heading out, and felt the warm glow of the book again and the writing in the air.

**Quest Alert!**

**Mothers Heritage.**

**Meet your Uncle in the morning and learn more about your Mother.**

**Success: Unlock your Mothers Heritage page, +100XP.**

**Failure: Your Mothers Heritage page remains locked -100XP.**

He felt the glow fade, and Jon hurried back to his room, some satisfaction rising in him that he'd get more answers. Still, he had an hour or so before dinner, and there was much he had missed with the book.

* * *

Once he was back in his room, sat at his desk, Ghost sleeping on the bed next to him, and the door barred, Jon pulled out his new companion, and quickly flicked through the new developments. He was pleased to see a summary page before the main stats that listed any changes he had missed, which meant he didn't have to read through the entire book, that made things much easier and his tired eyes certainly appreciated that.

**JON SNOW**

**HP: 90/100**

**LEVEL 2: 900/1000**

_**Summary of changes:** _

**Poison Knowledge Unlocked, Increase from 0 - 10.**

**Lying Unlocked, Increase from 0 – 10**

**Bravery Unlocked, Increase from 40 – 50**

**Horse Riding, Increase from 60 – 65**

_**Two new sections unlocked! Flip to see.** _

The summary page was useful, and he was pleased to see not only an increase in some existing skills but also some new skills showing up. He was particularly pleased with his bravery score, that certainly made him smile. It was good to see some improvements and he would keep striving for more.

He also noted he was only 100 points away from a new level, and he quickly flipped through the book to see his quests, he wondered if there were any he could complete now?

**Current Quests:**

**Minor Quests:**

**Bond with Ghost**

**Train Ghost in 5 Simple Commands.**

**Succes: 10+ relationship with Ghost, +5 Animal Knowledge, 100XP.**

**Failure: -5 relationship with Ghost.**

**The Blood of Dragons.**

**Research the Targaryen family.**

**Success: +200XP, +1 INT.**

**Failure: -100XP.**

**Mothers Heritage.**

**Meet your Uncle in the morning and learn more about your Mother.**

**Success: Unlock your Mothers Heritage page, +100XP.**

**Failure: Your Mothers Heritage page remains locked -100XP.**

**Active Quests:**

**Understanding the Rise.**

**Reach Level 5 to unlock player's levels.**

**Reward: You can see any players level (unless they are hidden for a specific reason), +50 XP.**

**Failure: Players levels will remain hidden to you.**

**Obtain a Valyrian Steel Sword.**

**The possible swords you may obtain are as follows:**

**LongClaw: Quest! The Nights Watch.**

**Dark Sister: Quest! Egg.**

**BlackFyre: Quest! The Essos Merchant.**

**Success: A Valyrian Steel sword, +10 Valyrian Steel Combat, +10 relationship with everyone (except for pacifists), +1000XP.**

**Failure: -20 Valyrian Steel Combat, -AGI, -LUC.**

**Claiming Your Right.**

**Claim your ancestors Throne, the Iron Throne for yourself.**

**Success: +5000XP, +5 CHA, +5 INT, +5 LUC, SPECIAL STATUS fully unlocked, the crown of your ancestor: Aegon Targaryen, will be yours.**

**Failure: -10 LUC, you will be branded a bastard forever and your claim to the Throne will be lost.**

Well that was useful, he should be able to level up tomorrow. He was tempted to now, but one look at Ghost on the bed told him that trying to train his Direwolf now would result in a failed quest and a grumpy companion. He smiled as he looked at the little pup, so much smaller now, napping happily, before he turned back to his desk.

He turned the page then, skipping over the maps he'd looked over in detail before, and instead continued on, to the pages he hadn't looked at. The first covered his relationships with everyone, which was good to have on hand, and also explained the details around what each relationship meant.

**Relationships!**

**There are 3 relationship scores available. The first two are unlocked immediately, the third becomes unlocked at Level 8.**

**'Relationship'** **this is the general relationship you have with a player. This will show up for everyone.**

**'Love'** **this is the romantic relationship you have with a player. This will only show up with players you may romance, this will exclude those in the gender you are not attracted to, and those you cannot romance (for example if you are averse to having a romantic relationship with the person, normally this would include family members).**

**'Respect'** **this will be unlocked at Level 8 and details the amount of respect a player has for you.**

Hmm … that all made sense, except for one thing. He had only seen the love score show up with one person: Sansa. She was his sister! Well cousin, perhaps that was why it showed up? As cousin marriages were common in Westeros? But then why hadn't it shown up for Arya? He couldn't help but think it was because he and Sansa had never been close as siblings, and it was easy to now think of her as a cousin, whereas with Arya he would always see her as his little sister. He wasn't sure, but judging by Sansa's behaviour when he had returned, he felt they could have a closer relationship … but romantically? He couldn't imagine it.

It was a lot to think about, and he flipped over the page, which was laid out differently than others, with boxes that looked as though they meant to contain pictures, with writing next to them. Only two boxes contained pictures, and as he reached inside his leathers for the pin Domeric had given him, he put it together.

**Sigils of the North!**

**Here is a view of all the sigils you have collected of the North. These sigils must be earned through quests, allegiances, and random events. Collect all of them to uncover secrets about the North that none living know and will be very important to your story later down the line!**

**Sigils Collected: 2**

**Collected Sigils:**

**House Stark.**

**Sigil: A Direwolf.**

**Words: Winter is Coming.**

**COLLECTED.**

**House Bolton.**

**Sigil: A Flayed Man.**

**Words: Our Knives Are Sharp.**

**COLLECTED.**

They were the only spots filled in, with a picture of the sigil and the full writing. All others had a blank spot for the picture, and only displayed the houses name. There were a lot, lasting several pages, and Jon knew this would not be something he could do actively, even the book seemed to confirm that, he'd just need to keep an eye out for ways to collect them, for quests and such. Learning long lost secrets to the North seemed important, and so he would keep a look out.

He then opened up his small desk draw to place the Bolton pin inside, and he almost laughed when he saw an identical one already sat there (that had certainly not been there before), with the Stark sigil instead of the Bolton. He nodded to himself, before placing the pin inside, and closing the drawer shut. It almost seemed to glow as he did so.

He then went back to the book, closing it this time. There was still much to learn it seemed, but he felt he had a better grasp of the book now and felt confident with such knowledge. He wanted to keep readin, or dive into the book about Targaryen histories that Maester Luwin had set aside for him, so to level up. But instead he forced himself up, changed quickly before heading down to dinner with Ghost still snoozing on the bed. He would attend dinner with his family, one little bit of respite among the planning, and the games and the constant confusion. One little bit of respite, and then he would get back to the Game of Thrones.

He had a duty to do, to save his family, protect his loved ones, but for a few moments he just wanted some respite, to spend time with the loved ones he needed to save, and so with a small nod to himself he shut his bedroom door behind him and made his way to dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo thoughts? 
> 
> loved writing this chapter, hopefully you loved reading it!
> 
> speak soon


	5. The Path

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hereee we gooo
> 
> ty to everyone who comments, your kind words motivate me! 
> 
> pls enjoy and lemme know what ya think
> 
> songrecs: bloodstream - ed sheeran

He may have felt like he was ready to collapse from exhaustion, but he did not crawl into bed as he wished. No instead he left Ghost slumbering on his bed and made his way to the dining hall, for dinner with his family. As much as he knew he had work to do, part of him felt it was all for moot if he couldn't appreciate the people, he was doing the duty for. Also, his eyes felt so heavy with exhaustion he was sure if he even tried to read anything on Targaryen history he'd pass out.

It was a small thing to have a simple dinner with family, but if the future had taught Jon one thing it was to appreciate the small things.

Jon had been given something of a blessing here, a chance to change the future, to keep the pack together, and yet there was more to it than that … there _had to be_. He didn't want to run around trying to fix things without appreciating what he had around him, without appreciating his family. He wasn't just here to change things and keep the Stark pack together, yes, that was the end goal, but it wasn't all there was. He wanted to enjoy spending time with them again. Sparing with Robb, chasing after Arya, shooting arrows with Bran. He refused to simply hurry through this do-over, no, he wanted to savour what he had left. Reading could wait, it was time to see his family.

Because they were his family, no matter what he had learned. He would always consider Robb his brother, even if they weren't siblings by blood. He'd always think of Arya as his little sister and Bran and Rickon as his baby brothers. They may be cousins now rather than siblings but that didn't change his view. Just as he would always see Eddard Stark as his father. At least his Uncle Benjen was still just that; his uncle, that made things a little easier in his mind.

He was weary as he made his way through the halls, but he refused to give into the tiredness. As he made his way into the Great Hall he may have wanted to simply collapse onto his bed, fully clothed and exhausted, but no, not yet. As he walked inside and saw his family there, eating their dinner, chatting away with smiles, he smiled himself. His smile only grew, and he ducked his head as they turned to smile at him, beckoning him over, to which he did with a nod.

Settling into a seat he couldn't help but smile, which had always been rare for Jon. He was more one to brood than to lump about with a big grin on his face. It wasn't that he wasn't a happy person, Jon knew he had a lot in life to be happy about, but he also had a hell of lot to brood about, now more than ever. Even as he tried to simply soak up time with his family part of his mind was still on the ever-growing list of problems he had to face, the trials ahead, and the ghosts of his past. He didn't want to think about the life he'd died in and left behind, but flashes of it still appeared in his memory … memories of Ygritte, of his brothers at the Wall. Those weren't memories easily forgotten, and he didn't want to forget him, he would always cherish those times.

He may never meet Ygritte now, or serve as a black brother on the Wall. He may never swing Longclaw or shake hands with the Old Bear. He may never tease Pip and Grenn, confide in Sam or meet Mance Rayder. That life was likely lost to him now. He would have to cherish the memories he had of it; of those moments of pure happiness he'd experienced in that prior life.

It may not have been healthy to hold onto them, but he couldn't help it, couldn't help thinking about the life he lived. Again, he was finding it hard to process, he was sat here, in the body of a boy, when in reality he'd lived a life as a man. He was sat here with shorter hair, leaner muscles and hands that had a much lower body count than they had before but his mind? In his mind it was all still there, and _very_ hard to forget.

But he tried to ignore it for a few hours, as he ate and drank and spoke to his family. All were relieved he hadn't made a run for it, and he traded some good-natured barbs with Robb over the idea he would have ever ran away. He ruffled Arya's hair as she told him that next time, he tried to run away she'd drag him back, and consoled Sansa that no, he hadn't run away because of her, and accepted her hug with a smile. He listened to Bran talk about his archery practice with a big smile. He tried to get Rickon to eat some food, but the baby of the family hadn't had the foggiest Jon had left and so was as ever resistant to doing as he was told. Theon tried to tease him in a less than good natured fashion, but the glare Jon shot him seemed to work.

All in all, he was glad he'd spent this time with his family, but as they passed the two-hour mark, he knew it was time for bed, he was near falling asleep where he sat.

"Off to bed Jon?" His f... uncle enquired, and Jon nodded his head as he rose, it was time for some much-needed sleep.

"Yes Father" He said with a nod, wiping his sleepy eyes as he did so, "A long ride after all"

"Aye" Eddard Stark said with a nod, "Remember to come to my solar tomorrow morning, we have much to discuss" And Jon could only nod again, he was exited for the talk in the morning, to learn of his mother, to hear about her, he couldn't wait, but sleep would need to come first.

"Yes father" He said before he made his way back to his room.

He briefly considered looking over his history books or glancing inside the magical book that rested in his breast pocket, but as soon as he entered the room, he knew he was on the verge of collapsing. He could only close his door, undress, and then fall into his feather bed before his eyes drifted shut and he was out like a light.

* * *

_He dreamt of Ygritte…_

Her red hair streaming free behind her, her blue eyes sparkling as she teased him. Tears trickling down her cheeks as she shot at him, and then the peace in her expression as she had died. He remembered everything about her, and gods he missed her. He knew in this life they were unlikely to meet, never mind become what they had before. He knew he was likely to never see her again, and that ached at his heart, but he knew that was the way things had to be.

He could not join the Night's Watch, not now. What use could he be at the Wall? Sure, there were the Others to think of, but for now his family and the North had to be his priority. Strengthening them strengthened their chances against the Others. Then of course there were his selfish motives, that he would not see his family die again.

So, for now at least, he knew the Night's Watch was not an option. He needed to stay here, to do good here before he even considered running to the wall. He had no idea how he was going to tell his uncle that he'd done a 180 on his original plans, but that had to be the way now. The Night's Watch was not the way forward.

His dreams continued, Ygritte dancing in front of his eyes, always a little too far from reach to grab. He dreamed of the Wall of the ice cracking off it, of the climb that had made him far better acquainted with it than most were. He dreamt of Hardhome, of the massacre he'd seen there. And he dreamed of the Others, of their white skin, crystal blue eyes, their shrieking inhumane sounds and the way their swords shattered all else upon impact. He shivered in his sleep as he thought of them, as he thought of what was coming, of what he had to stop.

 _'The Ink is Dry Jon Snow ….'_ A voice called loudly in his head, in his dreams, or was it? The voice was like gravel, but with an age to it that would be impossible. It was also a voice of wisdom, a loud voice.

And he jolted awake with a gasp … the moon was still high in the sky as he awoke. He was only awake for a few moments before sleep reclaimed him once more, the words, ancient and wise forgotten in his rest.

* * *

He awoke late the next morning, much later than usual, and he realized his meeting with his uncle was going to be late morning now. Still, the Lord Stark hadn't specified a time and so Jon was able to bathe, to dress and wolf down some breakfast ordered to his room. He wouldn't have minded eating in the dining room once more, but no, he ate in his room, to give himself some more time before he met his uncle, some more time for the book he'd neglected the night before.

Jon opened his now faithful inanimate companion and raked his eyes quickly over his stats and level. He could see he was only 100XP (and he was sure the XP meant experience), away from a new level. As soon as he saw that he quickly flipped over to the quests page and smiled to himself. The first quest immediately caught his eye; enough XP to level up and some additional bonuses, perfect.

Ghost was thankfully awake when Jon walked over to his sleeping spot, and on his feet within a second. Jon grinned as his direwolf yipped to be fed and Jon shook his head, fetching some spare bacon from his breakfast tray but not handing it over immediately. No. He needed to complete this quest, and so Jon held back the food with a serious look Ghost's way, time for some training.

"Okay Ghost up" Jon said, a simple one to start. He held a piece of bacon up higher and Ghost immediately reared on his hind legs to reach it. Jon nodded, but then encouraged the move without the bacon as a motivator. On the third try Ghost bounced onto his back legs with no treat in sight and was rewarded with a pet and a slice of bacon for his troubles. Jon nodded, and began with some other commands.

Now his direwolf had realized that learning the tricks resulted in treats he was much quicker, and much more eager to learn. Quickly Ghost had learned to sit, roll, and bark on command. Jumping took a little longer and a lot of yipping on his direwolf's part, but that was learnt as well, and in just a short forty minutes they were done. He saw the book on the desk glow in reward, and Jon leaned down to give Ghost his reward, one full sausage and another two rashers of bacon. His direwolf leapt on the feast with a bark of approval and Jon smiled down, scratching behind his companion's ears before heading back to his book, well after a quick wash of his now greasy hands.

As soon as he opened the book (which was glowing once more), the familiar writing was hurried over the quest page.

**Quest Completed!**

**Train Ghost.**

**Reward +10 relationship with Ghost, +5 Animal Knowledge, +100XP.**

**Current XP: 1000/1000, +10 relationship with Ghost +10 = 80, +5 to Animal Knowledge, +5 = 25**

As soon as that writing faded, Jon realised what was coming and he grinned, almost giddy as the writing was replaced with new script.

**Level Up!**

**You have climbed 1 level, to Level 3!**

**You may now add ten points to your Base Stats or 100 points to your General Skills. Choose wisely. Base Stats determine your skill in areas overall, whereas General Skills are more specific. We recommend in the early levels to add points to Base Stats. Base Stats must reach a certain level to unlock certain General Skills, and you must reach certain levels in specific Base Stats to climb higher in General Skills (i.e. you must reach 25 in your 'Charisma' Base Stat or your 'Lying' General Skill will be capped at a possible 50/100, and you must reach 40 in your 'Strength' Base Stat or your 'Mace' General Combat Skill will be capped at a possible 50/100).**

**Add to Base Stats or General Skills?**

Jon took in that information with a nod. He supposed it made sense, to do well in General Skills your Base Stats had to be high enough. He took note of the books suggestion and decided to go with its recommendation, after all the book hadn't steered him wrong so far, wouldn't it be foolish to go against what it suggested? Jon knew he couldn't follow this book forever, always doing as it wished, but for now? When he was so new to everything? He felt it was best to go along with it.

And so, he clicked on the circled words **'Base Stats'** then and the writing was once again replaced, this time by his Base Stats, which he had 10 points to add to. Hmm, he considered as he looked over them, and took his time considering, for levelling up seemed to be a hard thing to do, he didn't want to waste this one and then have to wait a while for the next one.

**Base Stats**

**STR: 19**

**PER: 10**

**END: 15**

**CHA: 5**

**INT: 9**

**AGI: 12**

**LUC: 6**

**MAG: 8**

Initially Jon was tempted to put a bunch of points into the Strength category. Fighting with Robb had shown him that he still had the skills he'd picked up over the years, and he still had the mind for the skills he'd learned, but his body had not been able to keep up. He may have acted cocky after he had bested Robb, but his arms had been aching afterward, in a way that a little practice duel wouldn't have tired him out. And after riding for so long? Normally his body would have ached in response, no small amount either, but not nearly as bad as what he was feeling now. He was sore in muscles that didn't have the build he'd worked into them, and so he was tempted to dump 8 points straight into strength. He exercised some restraint however, instead placing in a modest 3. Not only because he knew that simply going for physical power was a bad idea, but also because he knew that suddenly being able to handle more and more would be met with suspicion.

His eyes glanced over the other areas then. The little hint about unlocking other general skills and uncapping them had him putting a further 1 in charisma. Though Jon had no need to be a sweet talker, he knew that skills such as lying were essential. He may have been raised on the Eddard Stark rules of honour, but his time in the Night's Watch had shown him not everything was as cut and dry as it seemed when it came to being honourable. Sometimes one's personal honour had to be set aside. Hadn't he spoiled his own honour when swapping Mance's child for Gilly's? But that had been necessary. And so, 1 point went to Charisma.

He placed another 2 in agility, an area that was important no doubt for tasks to come. He'd already started making a mental list of things he needed to prevent, and he realized after finishing this he should probably write down some of the more important events he couldn't miss. The first that came to mind was Bran's fall, that had to be stopped. He wouldn't see his little brother … well cousin, crippled again. And so, for that alone agility was important.

4 points left. He was tempted to ignore magic and luck all together, but the book had shown him they both clearly had an important part to play. He couldn't deny magic's existence, not with where he was now, and luck was always something good to have on your side. He dropped 1 point into luck, he had never been a particularly lucky person, but he felt it could help.

3 left. 1 went into intelligence to round it to 10, Jon may not have been a scholar, but he had always been smart and knew that making smart tactical decisions was just as important as being able to lead an army on the battlefield. His final 2 points he placed in perception, he has always considered himself to be a perceptive person and he knew it was a useful skill.

Satisfied he checked over the stats again, clicking the numbers next to them to add to them before tapping the **'Confirm'** button that had appeared at the bottom of the text. He then checked them over once more.

**Base Stats**

**STR: 22**

**PER: 12**

**END: 15**

**CHA: 6**

**INT: 10**

**AGI: 14**

**LUC: 7**

**MAG: 8**

Everything looked a little better now, and he nodded to himself in satisfaction. For his next level up, he knew he'd need to do the same, pick base stats and round out some more skills. But for now, he was pleased with what he had, and so he closed the book before placing it back inside his breast pocket.

He wasn't sure why he felt the need to keep it so close, but he didn't ignore such an instinct. If there was one thing life had taught him so far it was, _do not ignore your instincts._

As he placed the book in his pocket, he looked over the desk for some parchment and then a quill. Quickly he began to scratch out some events from his old life that he would need to pay attention to now. He left some room to add to it, his quill scratching over the rough paper as he scrawled down the important things that were coming.

_Bran's fall._

_King comes to Winterfell._

_Stop Joffrey/Sansa._

_Stop Lord Stark becoming Hand._

_Meet Uncle Benjen, stop him going Beyond the Wall._

For now, that was all he added, for adding anything to do with the Others or reinforcing the Night's Watch seemed far too complicated. What he had down now was complex alone! The main one he could see (that he circled quickly), that would make the biggest difference would be stopping his uncle becoming Hand of the King. Then the Stark's wouldn't head South, war wouldn't be called, and the North could be strengthened. But again how on earth was _he_ supposed to do that?

He searched his mind for any reason he could give his uncle without sounding insane, of something he could say or do … he had nothing. Short of injuring Eddard Stark, or bodily stopping him from leaving, he had nothing.

With a slightly disheartened sigh he placed the parchment in the draw in his desk, alongside the sigils that once again seemed to glow as he closed it. Perhaps he'd come up with something soon? Or the book would help? For now, he had nothing, and as he glanced over at his calendar, less than three weeks now until the King arrived, it was closer to two now. There wasn't enough time, _not nearly_ enough time.

But he tried to rally himself as he stood to his feet, secured his weapons belt, and grabbed his cloak. He had determined what he would do; level up, complete quests and let the book guide him. Jon knew that was the best way forward. The book would show him … and well if it didn't. He knew one thing for sure, he could not let Eddard Stark go South, No matter how he did it (and for now Jon had no idea how), he _had_ to stop him.

With a sigh and something of a goal in mind Jon made his way out of the room, his usual brooding expression replacing the smiles of the night before as he made his way through the corridors and to his uncle's solar. For now, he would put aside the larger goals, and complete another quest, one that not only helped him with the book, but one that would give answers he had craved for a very long time.

It was time to learn about his Mother.

* * *

As he arrived, knocked on the door, and his uncle ushered him inside and placed a glass of watered wine in his hands, Jon felt like a little boy again. Now he wasn't worrying about the future, thinking wistfully about the past or trying to come up with schemes and plans to stop the ruin of the Stark's. For now, he was simply Jon Snow, his expression eager as his uncle sat down and Jon waited for him to start. He felt like a little boy waiting, _waiting_ , to hear about the one topic he'd always craved to hear about: _his mother_.

"Lyanna was a wonderful woman" His uncle dove in without warning, looking down at a spot on his desk, his own glass of wine in hand, something of a sad smile on his features. "Beautiful but she didn't care about that, intelligent but not too bothered by that either, she had the wolf's blood" His smile grew a little then and he met Jon's gaze, "You have a touch of it, not much mind you, but a touch that shows in your stubbornness, in your skill with a sword and your bravery"

"Lyanna had more than a touch. She had wolf's blood running through her veins. She was wild, free, refused to be cowed" He shook his head then, took a sip of his wine before continuing, "Born in the saddle many said, and fierce with a sword, fierce with one before she could even lift it properly" He continued, "But she had a gentle side. The side that loved flowers, that would comfort a little boy who'd skinned his knee, or a little girl who'd gotten mud on her dress. The kindness that was bold and beautiful, but always there" Again he met Jon's gaze, and Jon knew he was leaning forward in his seat, hanging on his uncle's every word.

"She was wonderful Lyanna, I loved her so much, and my god Jon she loved you" He shook his head then, "Even though she never knew you she loved you, and I know if she had raised you she would have smothered you with love" He cleared his throat then, tears in his eyes that Jon knew reflected his own. "She loved you from the moment she saw you, and never took her eyes off you, not truly, not until she was gone"

"She sounds amazing" Jon said with no small amount of reverence in his voice. He'd always wondered about his mother, wanted to know what she was like, who she had been, her personality … and here it was. It was fantastic to hear, but bittersweet in that he'd never been able to witness it and had to instead rely on stories and memories of others. It was better than nothing, but hard to swallow all the same.

"She was" His uncle said, and the pride in his voice was clear, "I remember when I was most in awe of her, most proud"

"It was the Tourney of Harrenhal, we met Howland Reed there for the first time, and he was being bullied by some squires of other knights due to his height. Lyanna chased them away, tended to his wounds, immediately befriended him and promised him revenge" He let out a small laugh then, "We all laughed at that, I remember saying 'What do you propose to do Lya? Tell on them to their Lords?" Again, he laughed, though again sadness was clear in his gaze, "Well she did in a way I suppose"

"At the tourney the next morning, she entered, I had no idea until after. Benjen found her some armour, she painted a shield in a hurry and donned a helmet. She spoke in a gruff voice so none would recognise her and entered the joust" Eddard nodded at him then as Jon was sure he looked shocked, and continued on, "She beat the knights of all three squires, and in payment, demanded they teach their squires a lesson if they wished to have their horses and armour back"

His uncle shook his head then, almost in disbelief, and Jon knew he was smiling, "It was amazing. Then she dropped out of the lists, rode off, and only me, Benjen, Howland and Brandon knew who the Knight of the Laughing Tree was. That's what the smallfolk dubbed her, shouted the name out over the seats" He nodded again, and Jon couldn't help but let out a laugh of disbelief, but not just of disbelief, but of amazement. What a woman his mother had been.

"That's fantastic" Jon said, and his uncle nodded again, before meeting Jon's gaze once more, his expression turned serious now.

"That was where your mother first met your father, I later found out" His expression was more sombre now as he spoke, "Aerys was unhappy about the Knight of the Laughing Tree, believed it to be an assassin or a ploy, gods he saw plots in everything. And so, he ordered his kingsguard find her. I later found out it was Rhaegar who found her first, met her, spoke to her, admired her" He paused then, thinking for a moment. "Many people think that when Rhaegar crowned Lyanna Queen of Love and Beauty, in the act that sparked the first signs of war, it was random, done for her beauty, her looks, but no. It was because of what she'd done, in standing up to those squires, in being strong and brave and fierce. That was why he did it" His Uncle nodded again then, his expression one of contemplation.

"I think they fell in love there and then, truly" A small sigh left his lips, "The war started that day, not just because of Aery's paranoia, or Robert's jealousy, no" He shook his head, "It was because from that day your mother and gather could not stand to be apart, and on that day they fell in love. And from that came you, Jon. And no matter what happened as a result of their love, she would never have regretted it I'm sure, because it gave her you. You, who she only knew for a moment, but still loved above anyone else"

When his uncle met his gaze next it was full of tears, and Jon again knew he was the same. In fact, his tears had fallen over, to trickle down his cheeks, and when his uncle rounded the table and pulled him into a gruff hug Jon accepted it with a small sob, that quickly turned into several, to which his uncle didn't follow, but Jon could tell from his shaking that he was crying too.

And for a moment his uncle held him as he cried. Cried over the mother he had never known, but so wished he had.

* * *

They parted several minutes later, and Jon ducked his head to wipe his eyes, clear his throat and gain some composure. Hearing about his mother … it had got to him more than he had thought it would. Yes, he'd imagined he'd get upset, but not to such an extent.

But it wasn't just hearing about his mother that had done it. It was hearing about how loved he had been, even though she hadn't known him. It was hearing about how his mother and father _had_ loved one another, that he truly was a product of love. And so, as he wiped his eyes he nodded to himself, almost in reassurance; that it was okay to cry after such a story, that it was normal to get emotional after learning of his mother, and his father.

It took him several more minutes and several sips of wine before he sat back down, his eyes drying, his uncle now composed and waiting for him. He smiled at his nephew, and Jon smiled back, he wanted to hear more, so much more. He didn't care if it made him weep again, he wanted to hear _everything_.

But before he could ask again, he saw the familiar writing appear in front of him…

**Quest Completed!**

**Mother's Heritage**

**Learn about your Mother.**

**Reward: Mother's heritage page is now unlocked, +100XP.**

**Current XP: 100/2000**

He would have to look at his mother's heritage page later, for now he was focused on his uncle as he continued.

"Now, Jon, I'm happy to tell you more stories, gods knows you deserve them after all this time" His uncle paused then, took a sip of wine and then met his gaze, "But I think first we must discuss something in light of what you know, something important" Jon hesitated then before nodding, he wanted to know more, but he knew his uncle must be serious if he were prioritising this over more tales of Lyanna.

His uncle seemed to steel himself for a moment before continuing, "I know you have asked me to join the Night's Watch, and I understand if that is still what you want, you have an uncle there and I think you could do well there. You may know you're true born, but to the world you're still a bastard" His Uncle paused then, "I'm sorry you've been branded with that, but it kept you safe, I do not regret you living with that, for the alternative would have been your death"

"I understand" Jon said, and his uncle nodded, apparently pleased Jon wasn't mad over the status he'd been stuck with since birth, when it wasn't even true.

Sure, Jon would always resent being a bastard, it had caused him plenty of grief, but he didn't resent or blame his uncle, he had made the decision that kept him safe.

"So, the Night's Watch is still an option, but now that Lady Stark knows who you are, you have other options too" His uncle held up a hand as Jon went to speak and shook his head, pausing him.

"You may want to settle a keep near Winterfell, form a cadet branch. I have a few castle's you could occupy. Moat Cailin would be the largest and further away, but a good settlement. Or you could take a smaller castle closer to home, rebuild it, become a Lord" His uncle said with a nod, "Or if you wish to be further away, stride out into the world I could find you a settlement near Greywater Watch, Moat Cailin would be good again in this case. Howland Reed knows who you are, loved your mother and would see you protected. The marsh lands are harsh, but you would adapt"

"If you don't wish for your own keep, I could find you a good position here at Winterfell. A Master of something perhaps"

"Or there is a fourth option" He said with a pause before carrying on. "I've been considering this for a while now, with Robb, and I think it would be good for you to go too. It is traditional when a boy of a noble family comes of age to take a tour abroad. I was raised in the Eyrie, but Jon Arryn still sent me and Robert to Bravos for three weeks" He smiled then, wistfully it seemed, "It was glorious"

"A tour?" Jon interrupted then. "As in a tour of lands East?" He asked, no shortage of curiosity in his voice.

"Aye" Eddard said with a nod, "I'd fund a tour East, to the Free Cities perhaps? Or the Summer Isles?" He nodded again, "I wanted to send Robb and always considered you as well. The two of you could go together. Say for a six-month trip? That's a traditional length. You could explore before settling home and then making a choice about your future"

Jon's mind was racing with possibilities now. He knew joining the Night's Watch was no longer an option, at least not yet, he needed to be in the North to make the necessary changes to come, and now he had that option. He could remain in Winterfell, in the centre of things, or he could find his own keep, set up a base. His mind was thinking strategically about what was best for his plans, but at the back of his mind his thoughts strayed, to simply what he wanted.

To be a Lord … once he had never dreamed of such a privilege. To have command of his own castle, to be loyal to Robb, to answer his call when needed. When he was young it was all he had ever wanted. And yet … when Stannis Baratheon had offered him the chance, in the life gone now he'd turned it down. But there wasn't the moral issue anymore, of leaving the Night's Watch, abandoning his duty, of taking Winterfell when it had never been his. Now he could have such a thing without any guilt, without any worry. It seemed too good to be true … he almost wanted to say yes immediately, to be a Lord here and now, but then his mind strayed to the fourth option.

A tour abroad … a temporary thing yes, and though he was drawn to the idea of travel, of gallivanting about new places, his mind went to the book, the maps he had yet to unlock, the quests for Valyrian Steel that could only be completed east. This was his chance! His chance to find Blackfyre! To see Valyria perhaps, Bravos surely.

This was his chance to expand his knowledge, to learn more, perhaps complete more quests. Surely if his goal were to level up, to unlock as much of the book as possible this was the route he had to take? And with Robb by his side? To watch his back? It would be difficult to keep things from Robb, but having him along could only be a bonus, to bond and to protect one another when necessary.

Yes, part of him wanted to go simply to see the amazing sights he'd heard about, but the logical part of him, the part of him tied to the book in his pocket, it almost urged him to go on the tour, to see new lands, explore new things, gain knowledge and see the home of his ancestors. Surely this was what he had to do? Surely this was the way forward?

But then it dawned on him … abroad? With the King arriving in a fortnight? He felt himself deflate. It wasn't a possibility. He had too much to do here, to change here. He opened his mouth then, to refuse the offer, before his mind caught on a thought, and a smile came to his face.

He could take the tour, providing he found a way to keep his uncle up North. If he managed to keep Eddard Stark in Winterfell, then he could take the tour without worrying. He could discover more, he could learn more and unlock more of this book, assured the Starks were somewhat safe and sound tucked up North. If his uncle remained in Winterfell then Jon had more time, more time to strengthen the North, to find a way to defeat the Other's, to stop the War of the Dawn. And so, he nodded to himself.

This was his path forward now, he could see that clear as day, and the clarity made him feel confident, sure of himself in a way he hadn't felt since coming back.

He knew what he needed to do.

"I'll take the tour" He said with a smile, and he was met with an answering smile from his uncle then, but he didn't take pause, "But first I have some … unfinished business here, my studies and training and all that, could we hold off on it for a few months?" He asked, pausing then, almost holding his breath as he waited for an answer.

"Of course Jon" His uncle simply, "I'll need time to prepare the ship and you and Robb need to plan where you'll go" He nodded then, "I'd say in three months you can set sail"

Jon smiled again then and nodded once more; he could make this work; he would make this work.

This was his plan now. Stop his uncle going South to an eventual death in King's Landing, keep the Starks in Winterfell and then head abroad, see Valyria, find BlackFyre, level up and gain more skills and stats, and then, and only then could he change things for good.

To stop the Other's, to strengthen the North, to ensure the pack never broke up. It would be hard, extremely hard, for the first hurdle was the biggest one … but if he got over that, if he found a way for his uncle to stay, then perhaps this new life could far surpass his old one.

"Aye, sounds perfect"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo thoughts? 
> 
> subscribe for updates and let me know your thoughts!
> 
> speak soon


	6. Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> little shorter, but lots going on!
> 
> pls enjoy, let me know if you do. also let me know if you have any questions, I welcome them, and may even answer them (if they don't ruin spoilers!)
> 
> songrecs: sign of the times - harry styles (not relevant to this story but listen to fine line, it slaps)

A tour. Jon new it was a little bit impulsive, a little crazy and he was jumping at a chance to explore areas he hadn't seen in this lifetime or the last. He was racing ahead when he should have been focused at home, and yet only part of him felt that way, the other overwhelming part felt that this was a good thing, a very good thing, considering what was to come.

He sat down at his desk then, checked the drawer for the sigils (still there of course), and placed the book on his desktop. He knew a tour may not be the wisest of options and yet as he sat, pulled out a piece of paper, he wrote the reasoning down. This was something he'd often done as Lord Commander; physically writing down tactics, plans and strategies allowed him to look for holes in his plans or problems. And so, he picked up his quill and wrote down his plans.

_Tour:_

_Will give Uncle a reason to stay in Winterfell/turn down Hand of the King (will need to convince him of this, Robb is not in Winterfell)._

_Can find new quests/new advantages, will need these against the Others/Lannister's._

_Could be dangerous but will be good to get experience, and for Robb to get experience._

_May come across Dragon Queen, can talk to her._

_May get to visit Old Valyria, The Doom? Quest._

Once he looked down at the list Jon gave a little nod to himself, his reasoning seemed solid, but he knew it all hinged on one thing. For the moment, the Others were not an imminent threat, it was the southerners that were the nearest threat, and to stop any interaction with their schemes he needed to convince his uncle to stay in the North.

That would give Jon time to level up, complete quests and be in a good position to take on the Others. That was his best path to success, Jon knew it and nodded to himself as he placed the paper in his draw with the sigils. This was the best way forward; he was sure of it.

But how could he convince his uncle?

He hoped his uncle would at least refuse to go South until Robb was back to represent Winterfell, and then Jon could come up with something else, for now he hoped that his uncle wanting to stay in Winterfell until his heir was back would be enough, as he had little else to go on.

Jon also wasn't above using his newly known heritage to keep his uncle here, perhaps throw in a little guilt. Jon knew his uncle was an honourable man, and Jon had always tried to emulate that, but sometimes it simply wasn't viable. Sometimes one had to set aside their personal honour to achieve something important. Jon remembered sending Gilly's baby to the Red woman, saving Mance's heir. That decision had haunted him for weeks, but it had been what needed to be done.

**What Needs to Be Done (Perk!)**

**You have gained a new attribute.**

**You have shown you are willing to do what needs to be done, sometimes at a cost to your personal honour. You have added +5 to Bravery and +10 to Lying.**

**Remember, some perks are extremely powerful, and others have only moderate effects, but they will all come in use!**

The book glowed once again, and Jon found he was used to it at this point. It was odd, it had only been a week and yet the book already felt like part of him, an extension to him like Longclaw had been. He let out a small sigh at that, it was no secret to himself he missed his old sword. How many men had he killed with it? How many times had it defended him and his brothers? He missed it, and again he had to resist the urge to focus on the valyrian streel quest. He knew it would be important to get valyrian steel at some point, as it was his primary weapon and something, he took to like nothing else, but for now that could not be his priority.

With a small sigh he noted it was approaching supper time, the day had gone by slowly, and it was only just dark. He knew for the moment it was summer even in the North, and the days were longer. He remembered the Wall, how sun had been so rare and daylight a treat that was often only a few hours long. Jon preferred the cold in truth, but he liked a bit of sun, a bit warmth in his bones that he was not used to after so long shivering on the Wall. Scooping up his book he placed it in his inside pocket and pulled on his fur and weapons belt. With a whistle to Ghost and they set off down the corridors to the main hall for dinner. Jon planned to tackle the minor quest of reading up on the Targaryen's after dinner, but for now he could relax and eat with his family. There was much to come ahead, and he felt it was important to steal moments like this where he could.

And so, he wondered into the hall, made his way to the top table and sat himself down next to Arya and opposite Robb. He nodded at his Uncle, managed to simply sweep his gaze past Lady Caitlyn (who could barely look at him), smiled at Bran, Sansa and Rickon before ruffling Arya's hair (he ignored her protest), before turning to look across at Robb. He couldn't see the relationship levels over their heads to which he raised an eyebrow, but a quick flash of light and a scrawled script in front of him read:

' **To make things less distracting you will now only see relationship changes rather than a constant status, stay focused!'**

He supposed that made sense and nodded to himself.

"How fares sparing today brother?" He asked, wincing a little as he knew they weren't technically brothers, though to Jon they would always be brothers if not in blood, he hoped Robb felt the same.

"It went well, shame you were too scared to make it" Robb taunted and Jon felt a grin slash across his face as Arya made a little 'Ooo' noise to which he rolled his eyes and took a gulp of his ale before responding.

"Wasn't so scared when I knocked you on your arse the other day were you?" He said with a smirk and he saw his Uncle roll his eyes whilst his cousins laughed, except for Robb who mumbled something about a rematch before laughing himself.

"What about you Arya?" Jon asked, "Hit the target today?" He asked and Arya grinned before Caitlyn lifted her gaze to glare at him.

"Arya needs to focus on her lessons with Septa Mordain" Caitlyn said with pursed lips.

"No harm in knowing how to defend yourself" Jon countered and he saw Sansa gasp a little, it wasn't normal for Jon to stand up against his Uncle's wife, and yet Jon was not the same man he had been, and his dynamic with Lady Stark had certainly shifted, he ignored Robb's kick under the table. "The women of Bear Island are some of the fiercest warriors I kno.. have heard of" Jon caught himself then, "Perhaps we should be doing the same"

"Perhaps" His Uncle said with a raised eyebrow, "Or perhaps Jon you should focus on your own studies" He said, and Jon resisted the urge to argue back, aware that most people were listening in. Instead he nodded and dipped his gaze back to his plate. He heard Robb hiss at him, asking what he was playing at, but he ignored it, kicking him back before falling silent to tuck into his meal.

It was odd and in truth difficult to be treated like a child again. In his previous life he had been in command, and even when he hadn't been in charge, he had still been an adult, capable of making his own decisions and unafraid to stand up to people. It was strange to have to do as he was told, and in truth he did not like it. He liked being in charge of his own decisions. Perhaps it was odd as well because of how different it was from the Wall? At the Wall things were less formal than here, less hierarchal (sure there was the Lord Commander, but they were all brothers with a vote and a voice). Jon knew he had to put up with it, but as Lady Stark glared at him again, he had to resist the urge to glare back.

Dinner soon finished and he sat back, at least the food here was better than it had been on the Wall, that was for sure. He stood as his cousins did and made his way to the doors, planning to head back to his room to do some reading, but Robb caught up with him first.

"I don't know where your brain has gone brother, but it is nice to see you no longer scared of my Mother" Robb said with a roll of his eyes, Jon knew it was difficult for Robb, he loved his Mother but had always completely disapproved of the way she treated Jon.

"Hmm" Jon replied, but elaborated as Robb gave him a look to not bother trying to fall him, "I simply had a chat with Father the other day, and he had a word with Lady Stark" That seemed to satisfy Robb and he nodded before walking alongside him as Jon made his way to the library.

As Robb noted where they were going, he spoke, "Reading again brother? Hmm, standing up to my Mother, reading lots, what have you done with Jon?"

Jon laughed at that, for more reasons than one and rolled his eyes, "Maester Luwin seems to think I have been focusing too much on the sword and not on the mind" In truth the good Master had said that to him once and Robb seemed to buy that easily before Jon decided to steer the conversation away. He knew things were a bit weird with Robb at the moment as Jon was acting differently, even if he tried not to be too different. And so, he decided some good news would ease things between them.

"So, I spoke to Father this morning" Jon said as they rounded to the library, "And he is sending us on tour"

At that Robb looked shocked for a moment before letting out a cheer and pulling him into a hug. Jon accepted it with a grin, slapping his brother on the back with a nod. "He said he thinks it will be good for us"

"Damn right it will!" Robb responded with a grin, "Father mentioned a tour to me in the past, but I didn't think it would happen! This is fantastic"

"Aye" Jon said with a smile, "I've got a dreary book of Targaryen history to read, but Father mentioned us touring the Free Cities, you care to start there?" Robb nodded in response and the two grabbed their books before parting ways. Robb was grinning from ear to ear as they parted, and Jon knew he was too. This, this was important too. Not just saving the family for the future but living with them now.

* * *

Dreary had been the right word.

He had pulled down three books about Targaryen history: The Rise and Fall of the Targaryen History by Maester Ebrose, Targaryen Madness by Explorer Samuel Highmore and The Targaryen Dynasty by Maester Ronan. He honestly had not looked at what he was pulling down too closely and was now regretting that lack of thought.

The first by Maester Ebrose was so dull that Jon felt his eyes drifting and his focus gone after ten minutes, it was only after a 5 minute daydream did he jolt back to reality, snap that dusty tome shut and move onto Explorer Highmore's book. That one was much less dull, but almost too exciting. He was pretty sure Aegon Targaryen had 2 wives rather than 6, and he was also pretty sure that Targaryen's (beyond perhaps the Mad King, his grandfather now Jon thought about it and quickly tried to forget), did not ingest dragon blood to try and breath fire. And so he snapped that one shut, one too dull, one too sensationalised, perhaps Maester Ronan's would be right.

And it was. It was still a tad dull but was factual and told the story of the Targaryen dynasty, right from Aegon landing at Dragonstone to the fall of the Mad King. Jon found himself grabbing some parchment to take notes, mapping out a family tree of sorts, adding himself onto the end. Hours passed as Jon absorbed everything. When he realised this wasn't just history, but rather the history of his ancestors it was much more interesting. When he realised their blood ran through his veins, that he was a continuation of that line he was much more detailed in his notes and the facts seemed to stick with him better. This was his family history after all.

It was soon past midnight and Jon had a good leaf of parchment in his drawer and the more important points memorised. This information may not be important now, but it was important to him, to know his heritage, to understand his ancestors, and he was sure it would come in use in the future, perhaps soon on the tour. It was then the book glowed again, and he grinned as the writing showed up.

**Quest Completed!**

**The Blood of the Dragons**

**Reward: 200XP, +1 INT.**

**Current XP: Level 3: 300/2000. INT: +1 = 11**

He was pleased with that and soon he washed himself and climbed into bed, tomorrow he would perhaps read some more, train in the yard and try to discuss the tour with Robb. Tomorrow he would carry on, it was becoming easier now, to follow a routine of improving himself, he was sure that was what the book wanted, that was his best way forward, and with his plan clear he nodded off to sleep.

* * *

' _The Ink is Dry Jon Snow!'_

Again, he tossed and turned, that voice shouted in his dreams, as images raced through his head, the Wall, the Others, his brothers, Aemon, Ygritte, the Red Woman. They flashed across his mind, reaching for him, calling to him, and their words struck across his mind.

' _It is not those foes who cure you to your face you must fear, but those who smile when you are looking and sharpen their knives when you turn your back. You would do well to keep your wolf close beside you. Ice. I see, and daggers in the dark. Blood frozen red and hard, and naked steel. It was very cold'_

' _Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born'_

' _You have more of the north in you than your brothers'_

' _I see what you are Snow. Half a wolf and half a wildling'_

' _Never forget what you are'_

' _You know nothing Jon Snow'_

And then he felt it, felt the daggers in his side, stomach and finally his heart. He felt each blow again, and then the cold at his back, so very cold as his blood ran red…

* * *

He awoke the next morning with a gasp and he knew his dreams had troubled him again. He wondered if these were the prophetic dreams one of his perks spoke of, but no they weren't prophetic but reminders of his past. Perhaps they related to the perk that meant he could look into the past? But then he wasn't doing it intentionally. Another mystery.

Because as much as this book was helping him it had also brought with it a whole host of questions and confusions. For everything it revealed Jon had more questions. He supposed he just had to trust that things would be revealed as he went, and to keep moving forwards. Part of him wanted to look into his dreams, to look into the past, but he was wary, wary of getting lost in it. He was needed here and now, here to ensure the Stark pack survived. The allure of the past was strong, but it would not help him, not yet.

And so he forced himself to go about his day, washed thoroughly to get the sweat off his skin, trimmed his hair a little but left his beard, it was growing slowly, oh so slowly but he missed it and wouldn't be cutting it as he had when he was younger. He dressed quickly and scooped up his book before planning to head out, until the book glowed again and he opened it to see it was simply the daily quests refreshing.

**Quest Alert!**

**New Quest: Bullseye!**

**Help your cousin Bran get a bullseye with his arrow.**

**Reward: 100XP, +5 Bow and Arrow**

**Failure: -100XP, -5 with Bran.**

Hmm, that seemed simple enough, he could probably get that done today before he started his own training, and he hadn't had much a chance to see Bran since he had come back.

**Quest Alert!**

**New Quest: Wayward Sister.**

**Help Arya hide from Septa Mordain**

**Reward: 100XP, +5 Stealth**

**Failure: -100XP, -5 with Arya**

Again, simple enough, and he could get that done today. He knew he needed to be completing these quests daily to ensure he got new ones the next day, to maximise his XP count quickly.

**Quest Alert!**

**New Quest: Fours a Crowd.**

**Win a duel against 3 opponents.**

**Reward: 200XP and 10 Silver Stags**

**Failure: -300XP and -5 to Hand to Hand Combat**

Ouch, the penalties were hard for that one, but it seemed easy enough, he was experienced in combat now far surpassing what he was being taught. He still didn't quite have the strength required but that would just take time and discipline. The difficulty with this quest would be in ensuring he didn't look too advanced, that would be difficult to explain.

With a snap he shut his ever-present book, motioned to Ghost and exited. Time for breakfast, and then the training yard, he could help Bran, win his fight and then try to find Arya. He would devote the afternoon to some study and then the evening for dinner he'd discuss the tour with Robb. That was a plan, a good plan to the day. He had to be diligent in how he used his time.

Breakfast passed quickly, only his Uncle and Robb were present for it was earlier than normal and often the girls and children slept in on the weekends. He ate the food silently, as did the rest of the table, though after a strong cup of tea Robb spoke up.

"Father, Jon told me about the tour" He had a cheeky grin on his face and Jon rolled his eyes before reaching for his own tea.

"Aye of course he did" His uncle said with a shake of his head, "I planned to announce it at dinner tonight, but aye Robb I think it will be good for both of you" He seemed to look at them more seriously then and Jon found himself sitting up, he noticed Robb did the same. Jon may feel like a man grown but he still had a tremendous amount of respect for his uncle, "This will be a good experience for you both but I expect you to be careful, to take care of one another, do you understand?" He said and they both nodded, solemn now, until his Uncle cracked a smile. "You can be excited though"

Jon laughed at that as did Robb before Jon turned back to his breakfast. He listened intently as Robb began to talk about the reading he had done on Bravos, and his uncle agreed that should be their first stop. When his uncle had made the practical arrangements, they would need to discuss but they had three months to decide all of this, and it was a while away yet.

Breakfast finished Jon strode out to the yard with Robb, only stopping off at his room to drop his fur and weapons belt. It felt weird not carrying it around, but he'd be using blunt steel in the training yard. He was quick to jog back to the yard and soon lined up next to Robb for morning drills.

Push ups, sit ups, crunches, jogging on the spot that was all a good challenge and Jon pushed himself. It was harder than he had anticipated, he really needed to build his strength and endurance back up, but it felt good to exert himself and after an hour he was sweating but feeling good, adrenaline spiking through his body as they moved onto drills with sword position and feet placement.

That part Jon soon calmed down at, as he went through the motions. He knew all of this but of course Master Rodrick and Robb didn't know that. Soon Theon joined them, and Jon ignored him lest he get angry at the mere sight of the traitor. Instead Jon simply ran through everything with ease. Rodrick complimented him on his technique, and he nodded. As they paused Jon glanced over at Robb and Theon talking and noted script over Theon's head. Of course.

**Player!**

**Theon Greyjoy.**

**Heir to the Iron Islands**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: -70/100**

Well that was to be expected, especially as when Theon caught him looking, he sneered at Jon and mouthed bastard. At that Jon simply rolled his eyes (he noted he was doing that a lot of recent) before turning to the archery section. Bran was now there, and Jon took this as a much more pleasant opportunity to complete the quest, whilst Theon and Robb faced off against one another. He did not want to face off against Theon, he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't flip.

"Bran" Jon said with a smile as he dodged an arrow that sailed far left to the target, he laughed as Bran gasped and apologised before shaking his head and picking up the arrows that littered the floor (few near the target).

"Sorry Jon" Bran said with a small sigh and Jon shook his head before moving to stand behind him. "I just can't seem to get it"

"Yes, you can" Jon said simply, and as Bran moved to notch an arrow Jon immediately noticed some problems. Jon was no greater archer, always better with a sword in hand. Pyp had been the stronger archer at Castle Black. Jon could shoot a box when need be, but he had no flare for it. Still, he knew he could get Bran hitting that bullseye.

Immediately he went to encouraging Bran to widen his stance, tilt his feet properly and adjust his grip. "Look if you don't hold tight enough then you don't have enough control over the bow"

"That makes sense" Bran replied, and his next arrow hit the target, far to the left but still it hit the board. Jon grinned as Bran squealed in delight before moving back to offering some tips.

"Okay next you want to make sure you follow your breath as you release. Inhale and exhale, follow your breath and you will find it much easier" Bran nodded, and botched the first go by puffing his cheeks out, which had Jon laughing a little, Bran glared at him and Jon raised his hands in surrender before Bran took another go, breathing more naturally now. The arrow hit the centre of the target, but a few inches shy of the bullseye. Bran let out a stamp of frustration, but Jon continued. Arrow after arrow, and 40 minutes later finally Bran let lose the arrow that hit the eye.

"Jon!" Bran called out happily jumping into his brother's arms to which Jon laughed and hugged him back, ruffling his hair in congratulations. He realised they'd been watched, and everyone was applauding a delighted Bran before he was swept inside for a nap, still grinning to himself, as the book warmed and showed the results of the quest. To Jon he had forgotten about the rewards, and it had simply felt good to help Bran, still he looked as the writing appeared in front of him, the cherry on the cake.

**Quest Completed!**

**Bullseye.**

**Reward: 100XP, +5 Bow and Arrow**

**Current XP: Level 3: 400/2000. Bow and Arrow +5 = 45**

He smiled to himself then before heading back to the main area of the courtyard for training. Robb and Theon were taking a break and Robb stood to clap him on the shoulder in glee. "Well done brother, Bran will be ecstatic for days for making that shot"

Jon nodded with a smile before of course Theon cut in to ruin the moment.

"Don't know why you were giving him tips bastard" Theon said with a nasty curl to his lip, "Isn't being a wet mop your strong suit?" He said laughing cruelly, to which Jon glared and stepped forward.

"Call me that again Theon" Jon knew this was a bad idea, a really bad idea but he felt annoyed, not just at Theon's remarks, they barely bothered him now, but at Theon himself. His wrong doings had reached the Wall, his betrayal, and Jon was struggling not to punch him when he didn't speak, it was only amplified as he taunted him.

"What? Bastard?" Theon said laughing once more.

At that Jon stepped forward, a hard shove saw Theon hit the ground and he swore before scrambling to his feet. Robb however interjected before Jon could shove him again, placing a hand on his brothers' chest. Rodrick soon noticed as well and walked over.

"What is going on boys? Decided we don't want to learn? Want to get straight to fighting?" He said with a shake of his head, "Fine, well Jon since you pushed you can start us" Rodrick motioned then, which Jon immediately was reminded of Ser Allister, on the first day Sam had come to Castle Black. "Theon, Robb and hell why not Jory?" He said, calling his own son over, "You don't want to learn? Fine, then show us why you don't need to learn" He said with a nod, "You three against Snow, loser or losers do 10 laps around the castle"

Well that was enough motivation, 10 laps would easily take at least 2 hours, maybe more, it was a large keep after all. And Jon was thinking now of the quest, the rewards were decent but the penalties harsh, he needed to win this. And yet, he wasn't so confident as this morning. He knew he could take Robb, and Theon but Jory was a skilled fighter, and Jon was operating at diminished strength. He'd need to be cunning.

He took a step back as Rodrick handed him a blunted sword and squared off against his three opponents. He had fought more than three opponents at once before, he had more experience in battle now than all of them, perhaps the same as Jory. He could do this. He took a deep breath, centred himself, twirled the sword in his hands, and waited, waited. Making the first move was always the mistake.

And he didn't need to.

Theon hurled himself forward first and with a dodge to the side and a sharp kick to the kidneys (slightly harder than necessary) he went down. Once he was on his knees Jon knocked him back with a small slash of the sword before he felt a smack on his shoulder from Robb's sword and he just dodged a blow from Jory. Huh, he'd let his anger get the best of him and had spent too much time on Theon. But now the Ironborn was moaning on the ground clutching his side, now he could focus on winning this.

He dodged the next blow from Robb, parried his sword strike and went forward with three blows. The first Robb dodged, the second he parried but stumbled and the third knocked him on his ass. He managed to get to his feet, but Jon managed to block a strike from Jory before driving a shoulder into Robb's middle, sending him straight to the ground with a hard thud that left him there. He took another smack to the ribs that had him groan as Jory caught him before he parried a second blow and turned to his final opponent. Theon was still holding his side, Robb was thoroughly winded, so only Jory to go.

He did note as he did a quick glance that everyone was watching. His Uncle and Lady Stark stood on the walkway over them watching, Bran was watching from the sheltered area next to archery, Arya next to him, both gave him a thumbs up as he glanced at them. Even little Rickon was sat with Maester Luwin by the stables. Everyone was out to watch. Jon needed to win but he needed to be careful.

Jory went for him again and Jon dodged two blows before following with a flurry of his own. Five blows he struck, and Jory grunted under the strain but held his own. Jon narrowly dodged a slash to the ribs before he was struck by a kick to the knee. He almost faltered and fell before he leaned into the injury, distributing his weight to that leg which allowed him to strike out with his own kick that landed square on Jory's stomach.

Jory did not fall but Jon had the advantage. Ignoring the pain in his knee he swept forwards with four more strikes, two of which he slashed out with. It was too much for Jory, and finally Jon used the hilt of his sword to smack into his chin, which sent him sprawling backwards as Jon finally sent a punch to his middle to send him down. There was a trickle of blood on his chin, but he seemed okay as he hit the ground, tapped out and Jon had won.

The courtyard erupted in applause and Jon shook his head humbly before turning to Master Rodrick who was actually smiling and conceded that perhaps Jon had been listening.

"A fine win" His Uncle called out with a grin before everyone began to head back inside. Jon was smiling. It had been a hard effort, which was good as it hadn't shown that Jon was miles ahead. His technique had been good, but he had let his anger at Theon get the best of him, and his strength wasn't where it was to knock people out with only one or two blows. That was what he needed to work on.

Jon helped Robb up with a tug, and then Jory, but ignored Theon who had stumbled to his feet without help. "You alright?" He asked the two and they shrugged it off, congratulating him before letting out a groan at the prospect of a 2-3 hour run.

"I'll buy your debt if you like" Jon said cheekily, "5 silver stags each" He said, and Rodrick just laughed and nodded. Jory and Robb were quick to agree but Theon simply sneered.

"You won't have my money Snow" He spat out and Jon nodded, took a step forward and noted as Theon flinched.

"Not a problem" Jon said with a smile, "Enjoy your run"

And at that he nodded at Robb, promising to see him at dinner before turning out of the courtyard. That had been a good morning, two quests down and it had been a good morning in terms of enjoyment. Helping Bran, spending time with Robb, knocking Theon down. It was good and as he made his way back to his rooms the book glowed again.

**Quest Completed!**

**Fours a Crowd.**

**Reward: 200XP and 10 Silver Stags**

**Current XP: Level 3: 600/2000. +10 Silver Stags**

Smiling to himself he carried on, he needed to wash before lunch and then it was time to track down Arya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo thoughts?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! this chapter is a little shorter than others, that will happen sometimes as the chapter comes to a natural end, whereas some chapters will be behemoths.
> 
> pls comment me your thoughts (that made no sense but also does), subscribe for updates
> 
> speak soon


	7. See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> authorsnote: new month (almost?) new chapter!
> 
> pls enjoy, lemme know your thoughts, and if you like wacky jon fics go and check out 'three heads of the dragon' ty. 
> 
> songrecs: get your wish - porter robinson

Once he was washed and had placed his money down, he began to think about money. His uncle would give he and his brother an allowance when they travelled to the East, but Jon would likely need more. He would need to buy items that would aid him going forwards, and currently his own monetary reserves were not in great shape. It was something to think on, but he had other priorities at the moment.

He quickly dressed again before heading back out, his fur and weapons belt on this time as he was done training for the day. Now it was time to find Arya before doing some more research this afternoon. He had already read up on Targaryen history and this afternoon he planned to look into Stark history. He had to remind himself that even though he had a new heritage, he was still a Stark. Eddard Stark was still his Uncle, his Mother Lyanna Stark, he was still of the North and he wouldn't ignore that part of his heritage in favour of his newly discovered side. And so, some Northern reading this afternoon seemed like a good idea.

But first, Arya.

He wanted to complete this quest today as he wanted to maximise what he could gain from quests. If he could have new quests each day, he could level up quicker. He was keen to get to Level 5, to see where he stacked up compared to others. They didn't have books, so he was hoping the levelling process of other people was explained when he reached Level 5, to clear up some confusion and let him know how he was doing against people his age, his peers, and people older and more experienced than him. He expected to be above Robb, due to his life experience, but it would be nice to know.

And yet at the moment he was only level 3, he had ways to go, hence the importance of completing quests constantly to level up quickly.

Thus, he made his way outside, fur on his shoulders, weapons at his hips, Ghost trotting alongside him as always. It was important for him to keep Ghost close, and he would encourage Robb to do the same with Greywind. Their companions weren't just wolves, they were something else, they were powerful, strong and a symbol of their house. Jon would ensure Ghost was always close, close by his side to protect one another. There was also stuff about warging in the book that he needed to look further into. He had always had dreams of Ghost through the years, dreams of running, hunting, eating, dreams that felt so very real …

' _Ghost is more alive than I am'_

He remembered thinking that, thinking that when he dreamt Ghost was as real as anything, realer than him. And yet, in this time he hadn't had any of those dreams, perhaps because of the dreams of his past taking up that space? He wasn't sure, but he needed to look into warging and connecting closer with Ghost, not only would it be useful, but it felt right, like it was something he was meant to do.

He shouldn't have been surprised when he felt the tell-tale glow of the book, but he was all the same as the script appeared in front of him.

**Quest Alert!**

**In his Eyes**

**Warg with Ghost whilst awake.**

**Reward: 100XP, +20 Warging, +5 Relationship with Ghost.**

**Failure: -10 Relationship with Ghost, -10 Warging.**

Now that seemed like a difficult quest, and the penalties were once again harsh. He wondered if as he levelled up the rewards and failures would become higher and the quests harder, that seemed to make sense. In common card games as you got better the game got harder, so perhaps it would be the same here. He nodded to himself, he would do that quest soon, perhaps later that night, but first it was time to help Arya.

It wasn't hard to find her as he tracked the corridors of Winterfell, Ghost silent at his side. He found no luck in the courtyard or in the main hall, but as he wondered past Septa Mordane's domain (trying and likely failing to seem innocent), he caught a glance in the room and saw Sansa but a distinct lack of Arya. He smirked at that before quickly ducking out the way as the Septa turned her head. Once he was sure she was looking away he glanced back into the room, only for him to catch Sansa's gaze this time, luckily, she was shaking her head and smiling. He could see she was trying to say something, and it took him three goes to read her lips.

"Arya went to the stables" He smiled then and gave her a thumbs up to which she rolled her eyes but smiled fondly before he dipped away as he noticed the Septa standing to her feet to make her way outside.

He managed to dive behind the nearby turn and hide behind the wall as he saw her storm outside, mumbling to herself. "Insolent girl, always running away and acting like a barbarian, I'll find her though" She mumbled, and Jon grimaced before running in the opposite direction to the Septa in the direction of the stables.

* * *

Once he reached the stables it wasn't hard to find his wayward little sister … though she was his cousin now, as with Robb he would always think of Arya as a sibling.

He could see Septa Mordaine across the courtyard, red in the face talking to one of the guards who had it right to be intimidated by the old Septa. Jon had certainly shrunk under her steely gaze more than once and he pitied the poor lad as the Septa berated him furiously over the location of her ward.

But then Arya had always been good at hiding, not quite from him though, as he spotted her crouched behind the horse water trough.

Deciding a good scare would make her jump and then laugh Jon was silent as he took the back route around the stables, slipping behind the wooden back to sneak up on Arya. Jon had a light tread, always had to avoid being noticed, it had only gotten better during his time with the Watch and the wildlings.

Ahh the wildlings, another future likely lost to him … not just Ygritte, but everything that came with being a wildling. He had climbed the wall, sat with Mance Rayder, walked with wargs … things he wouldn't experience again. Or would he?

The more he thought about it the more he knew he would end up at the Wall again at some point, how could he not with the Others marching closer to home each day? Sure, first he had to look after the Stark pack, go on his tour, defeat the Lannister's (ugh that alone gave him a headache), but then with the War for the Dawn he would need to be at the Wall fighting, helping the Nights Watch, an institute he had once been part of.

Would he see the wildlings again? He knew to have any chance against the Others they'd need to recruit the wildlings as he had done. Would Mance be leading them again? Would he see Tormund, Lord of Bones … Ygritte?

A neigh of a horse broke him from his thoughts and he quickly turned back to the task at hand. Arya remained crouched, smiling to herself at her hiding place, as he rounded the corner and crouched behind her, he was smiling too.

"Boo!"

Of course, his little sister jumped, but whereas Sansa would have squealed and scolded him, Bran would have jumped and laughed, Arya whirled around, teeth bared, ready to fight before laughing when she realised it was Jon.

"Stupid" She said with a roll of her eyes, but she grinned at him as he laughed. It felt good to laugh with her, to be back with Arya. In the future lost to him he had planned to march for her, to save her from the clutches of a monster, but now? Now she was here, safe still … for now.

He had a lot of work to do to protect the Stark's, almost too much, an inconceivable amount for someone with as little power as him, but he had the book, more knowledge now and he would do it, he would protect the pack.

"Hiding little sister?" He enquired and she shot him a cheeky grin.

"Lessons with the Septa are dumb" She often complained about the lessons. Whereas Sansa could sew, dance, and play the harp like a proper Lady, Arya would never be that, didn't want to be. Jon could see why, being a Lady sounded awfully time consuming and dull.

"Aye" He agreed, he found a lot of his lessons dull, especially now, most of what Maester Luwin taught him he already knew. They'd had a lesson on the structure of the Night's Watch the day before and he felt he could teach that class, he'd been Lord Commander once! Of course, now he had to sit through as the old Maester taught them about the Wall and the positions of the Night's Watch, so he could feel Arya's pain. "But your mother won't let you out of them"

"And that's why I escape" She grinned, impishly and he laughed before ruffling her hair, which she ducked with an annoyed groan, she had always hated when he did that.

"Jon you're okay right?" She asked then, for the side of Arya that was cheeky and completely unladylike, there was also a side that always had concern for those she loved, especially Jon, and that made him smile.

"Of course, I am" He said with a nod, but Arya did not seem reassured.

"You're sure? Robb and father were worried you ran away the other day" She was biting her lip now, fiddling with her hands, which he knew meant she was worried. With a small sigh he went to his knee, to be at her height and offered her a smile of reassurance.

"Father and Robb got it wrong" He said with a nod, "I'm fine Arya, I promise" Not technically a lie, he was fine, even with the shipload of pressure on his shoulders, the worries and the dreams of a past life. He was back with his family, he was okay.

At least Arya seemed convinced and she grinned and nodded her head, "Practice archery with me?" She asked, "Behind the feed sheds?" He laughed then, a popular spot for his little sister to hide and practice, one he'd discovered immediately after she did, and he remembered, sneaking off with her to practice, never caught.

Before he could agree, as he always would, he indulged Arya more often than not he heard something akin to a screech.

"ARYA!" The Septa screamed and Jon realised they'd been spotted, fuck.

He shared a quick glance with Arya, and he knew they were both panicked. Man, he was but the Septa was still scary as he remembered.

"Run!" He called and Arya took off, Arya Underfoot indeed, always fast. She dashed out of the courtyard and he followed.

He was faster now too but clumsier in this body. Still he was quick, and just behind Arya as they wove through the castle, the Septa soon long behind them. Jon laughed when Arya dashed past Robb who looked extremely confused, and a touch suspicious.

"Jon? Arya?" He called and Jon just waved his brother off before following Arya further into the castle, no time to stop.

It was only five minutes later when they were hiding in the empty kitchen storeroom did, they come to a halt, catch their breath, and sit down with a laugh.

"We'll be in trouble when we go back" He said as Arya grabbed a mug of water from the side and gulped it down, uncaring that it spilt on her clothes.

"Nah" She said with that grin again, "I'll just hide till dinner and then go to father, he'll be mad but as long as I apologise he won't mind" Aye she had the right of it, as mischievous as Arya could be she was also damnably cute and few could resist her puppy dog eyes when given the full blast, father just about could but he would make sure she didn't get in any real trouble.

"Going to hang out here?" He asked and as she nodded Jon wanted to stay with her, to catch up some more with her but Jon knew he couldn't. He had much to do, but Arya didn't seem miffed as he said so, just shrugged in understanding.

"It's okay, I'll nap" He laughed again as she curled into some sacks of flour, ready to do just that. He managed to catch her with a ruffle of her hair then to which she complained before he held his hands up in defeat as she held a small bag of sugar up to throw at him. Hands up in defeat he left the room laughing, leaving Arya to her nap.

As he left the storage room, he anticipated the book heating up and writing it's script before he did, and then the words appeared.

**Quest Completed!**

**Wayward Sister.**

**Reward: 100XP, +5 Stealth.**

**Current XP: Level 3: 700/2000. Stealth +5 = 15**

Well that was good, and he'd completed three quests in one day! He had quest, warging into Ghost but he felt it best to leave that for the moment, he'd done plenty today, and his reading could come tomorrow, and he was ready for some food.

"Come on boy" He encouraged Ghost who'd rejoined him now, having decided against a mad chase through the Castle and instead opting to simply trot after him at a glacial pace. "Food time" That made his companion perk up and he laughed as he made his way to the great hall.

* * *

Days passed and Jon continued to move forward. Sure, the quests weren't coming in as fast and Jon realised completing multiple daily quests and others given to him would not be sustainable day to day. The book wasn't offering additional quests at the same rapid pace as those that reset every day, and the daily quests weren't always easy to complete.

Not just that but Jon realised, as eager as he was to level up, particularly to level 5 he also had other things going on. Lessons, combat training, spending time with his family. He knew it was important to follow the book, hell it had guided him from the start! But he had to make sure not to just focus on the book, his training, learning, all of that was important to.

Since coming back, he had been hyper focused on the book, on it guiding him, and though he still intended to follow it he knew he had to make sure not to forget other things. Sure, levelling up his strength to get better at combat was good, but he also needed to train to develop his strength too, not just one or other.

His book was an aid, one he intended to always utilise, but it was not the only thing he needed to focus on.

He needed to find a good balance between working on the book, whilst also making sure he didn't slack with day to day activities. He also needed to make sure his family didn't get suspicious; he could hardly shirk off lessons without raised eyebrows.

So as three days went by, he trained in the yard, attended lessons with Robb and completed a few daily quests. It was good, a good balance, and that was what he needed.

The few quests he did had small rewards, but good ones. Not all quests would offer large secrets, valyrian steel or the Iron Throne! But he had come to realise all were important, especially as he had this new perspective on dual focus. Everything he was doing was important for the future. He knew the way to go was complete as many daily quests as possible and then the bigger quests would be tackled as and when they came.

A balance, that was what he needed.

Two minor quests had already added to his stats, and they had been fairly simple.

**Quest Completed!**

**Fix It Up.**

**Help Jory fix his broken greaves.**

**Reward: 50XP, +5 Smithing, +5 Relationship with Jory.**

**Current XP: Level 3: 750/2000. Smithing +5 = 5. Relationship with Jory +5 = 35.**

**Quest Completed!**

**The Family Line.**

**Research the Stark family tree.**

**Reward: 100XP.**

**Current XP: Level 3: 850/2000.**

Relatively easy stuff that had helped, he had noticed the XP rewards becoming smaller though, which he supposed made sense, the higher he levelled the harder it would be to level up.

With a sigh he pushed himself off the bed and made his way to the bathroom. It was the weeks end but any lazy mornings he had indulged in as a child were gone now. He knew the other Stark children would be sleeping, a lazy morning in, but not him. He had too much to do to indulge in that sort of thing now.

Besides, as a man of the Night's Watch there had been little time to idle. He had got used to rising early, going to bed late, getting by on little sleep. In fact, now he woke up naturally earlier than he used to, earlier than his cousins, and could not get back to sleep if he tried. It was the way about him now, it was just coming to dawn as he started to get ready for the day.

As he came back from the bathroom and walked over to his desk, he pulled the book out of the drawer that had started to fill, with the two sigils, various notes on his heritage, plans and tactics. He picked up the topmost that he had written just the day before when he had gone through his mother's heritage page and taken copious notes, not just for research but to know more about the mother he had been unable to meet.

' _Lyanna Stark, 267 AC – 283 AC (16 namedays)._

_Father: Rickard Stark, Mother: Lyarra Stark (my grandparents)._

_Brown hair, grey eyes, 'A winter rose'._

_Knight of the Laughing Tree. Fierce, loyal, wilful and just_

_Married to Rhaegar Targaryen 283 AC, gave birth to son, Jon Targaryen, 283 AC'_

He had stopped there, for other than some details on his mother's personality which he had absorbed in awe, tears trickling down his cheeks as he head of her skill with a horse and her kindness, simple things that had made her wish he knew her, he hadn't wanted to note those things down, he didn't want to use them for anything, just remember them.

With a smile he placed the notes on her back in, he knew his father's heritage page was locked, for it was after his mother's and displayed his name, followed by the words **'LOCKED'**. He would have to see about unlocking that at some point, would he do so in the same way as his mother's perhaps? With a quest? He would need to keep an eye out.

He dressed quickly and efficiently then, it was snowing today and so he made sure to bundle up, fastening his cloak across his chest to ensure it did not drift. He wondered what quests would be thrown at him today, but he had found them impossible to predict, he would simply wait and do what came up.

He also planned to meet Robb today, after lunch to discuss their tour, with Lord Stark moving forward with preparations they needed to as well, plan where they would head. Jon already knew where he wanted to go, but he would need to get Robb to agree and get his take, it was a 6 month trip they had time to see a few different places and Jon knew both he and Robb wanted to see as much as possible.

For now he'd go to break his fast and start the day, lessons wouldn't start for a while and he didn't want to train just after eating and so he'd perhaps head to the library, go through his book some more (he hadn't checked his stats in a few days), and perhaps do some reading. It hadn't been his usual thing, learning so much, but he knew it was necessary now.

And he'd always been good at strategy and tactics, he was just brushing up on those, and as dull as it was history was certainly a good way of improving one's strategy.

He then felt the familiar warmth in his inner pocket and near rolled his eyes, often when he was thinking of what to do this book would give him a little prompt, it was helpful if not slightly annoying.

**Quest Alert!**

**Where to Go?**

**Prepare for your Tour by researching Old Valyria.**

**Rewards: +5 to High Valyrian Reading, 50XP.**

**Failure: -5 to High Valyrian Talking, -100XP**

Again, it had fairly minor rewards, but it certainly told him where the book wanted him to go on the tour, now it was just a matter of convincing Robb …

* * *

As he broke his fast, alone in the great hall Jon figured he'd head straight for the library, lessons didn't happen at weeks end and so he'd train in the main hall, spend some time with the family at lunch and then plan the tour with Robb. It was a solid planned day, and he'd knock off his quest first thing and complete any others as they came.

He remembered then he still had one from earlier in the week he hadn't completed, mainly because it seemed like a big undertaking … but then he had a light day today, bar his plans with Robb later, was it worth doing the harder quest now when he had a more relaxed day?

With a small groan to himself he finished his food, decision made, and as no one was around he opened his book and had a look at said quest, the rewards were good, but he knew it would be hard.

**Quest Alert!**

**In His Eyes**

**Warg with Ghost whilst awake.**

**Reward: 100XP, +20 Warging, +5 Relationship with Ghost.**

**Failure: -10 Relationship with Ghost, -10 Warging.**

He had heard of warging of course, had even experienced dreams of Ghost which in hindsight might have been a passive kind of warging. He knew he could do it, for he had learned the book did not throw him impossible tasks, he just knew it would be hard and tiring.

But then so was the journey ahead. Resolved and ready Jon made his way back to his room, Ghost was there slumbering, perhaps that would make it easier? No, he'd wake his direwolf up, he didn't want to scare his loyal companion.

Jon thought of the dreams he'd had as he made his way back to his room. He thought of the wolf dreams he had dismissed, too busy to entertain them. He thought of padding through the forest as Ghost, understanding his thoughts, his feelings. Perhaps this wouldn't be too hard if he had done it before.

' _A white wolf in a white wood, silent as a shadow'_

He opened the door to his quarters and Ghost was awake already, sat on his bed, staring at him as he opened the door, expecting him it seemed. Jon smiled, stepped forward and ran his hand over his fur.

"This might be new for both of us boy, but I won't hurt you" He was more talking to himself than his direwolf, but Ghost cocked his head and he hoped that meant he understood … well perhaps soon he would know. With a nod to himself he pulled off his weapons belt, shucked off his cloak and made his way to his bed.

He had little experience of this, but he remembered Orell, remembered the man who had been so apart of the animals he knew. Jon took a seat on the bed, crossed his legs, and tried to focus – he had no idea what he was doing, he just hoped it came naturally.

Several minutes passed, Jon took deep breaths in and out, but nothing happened. Ghost sat, expectant but nothing came. More minutes passed and at the 10-minute mark Jon let out a sigh of frustration and flopped back onto his pillows.

He had _no idea_ what he was doing.

"Come on" He spoke to himself then, and looked as Ghost stood up, and just looked at him, waiting. It was odd, but it felt like Ghost was showing faith in him, like he was ready for Jon to do it. That made Jon smile and he took another deep breath before closing his eyes.

As soon as they shut, he knew it worked, as his mind raced across the room, as everything blurred and shifted, as _everything_ changed. _"Ghost"_ He spoke as his breath left his lips, as his mind left him for something else, as everything warped and changed.

His eyes opened but not through his body, now he looked through the eyes of Ghost. It felt comfortable, accepting and he knew Ghost had accepted him, he could feel it, feel the acceptance, the feeling of _'pack'_ and that reassured it more than anything. This was meant to be, meant to happen, and this could only be a strength going forward he was sure. Ghost felt like one with him, occupying his mind together, in concert, comfortable and natural.

This was natural, he could feel it, feel the blood of the First Men in his veins that allowed him to do this, to be one with his wolf, as so many had before him.

It only lasted a minute or so and he didn't move, just glanced through the eyes of his direwolf, around the room, the colours a little different, his senses keener, everything a little stranger but something he was sure he could get used to. It wasn't nearly as strange as it could have been, and Jon knew with practice he would be out running and hunting as he had in his dreams. After a minute or so it ended, he wasn't forced out, but naturally slipped out, out of his companions mind and back to his own.

A gasp left his lips as he woke, it was an odd sensation, like waking but more urgent, and Ghost yipped at him before going to his bed. His direwolf looked a little tired, and Jon felt it too. How could a minute inside his wolfs head have made him feel like he trained for an hour? And yet he felt exhilarated too, adrenaline pumping through his veins, a complete rush in his blood. He quickly got to his feet and washed his face in the bathroom which helped, the cold water helping him to come back, to feel a little less of that rush. He knew he was shaking, both from the rush and the little bit of fear that he had done it!

He had! He had warged into Ghost, to his direwolf. It was a shock to him, and yet it had felt right, it had felt natural. That was the biggest shock of all, that though he did feel exhausted, it had felt so natural, almost easy outside of the tiredness.

The book glowed then, but he ignored it to first go to Ghost, to pat him on the back, "Good boy" He said, and Ghost licked him with affection before settling down. He was pleased his direwolf was okay, he would never want to hurt him, and it meant he could try it again, soon he would, and hopefully the more he did it the better he would get, the easier it would become.

The book continued to glow until he crossed the room and opened it, sat at his desk, and looked over the script.

**Quest Completed!**

**In His Eyes**

**Reward: 100XP, +20 Warging, +5 relationship with Ghost.**

**Current XP: Level 3: 950/2000, Warging +20 = 50, +5 relationship with Ghost = 85.**

He smiled then, things were looking good, and the rush of warging, of doing it whilst awake was amazing. He was still shaking, grinning even, this was a skill he both needed to work on and wanted to, it had felt so strange and yet so right, like it was innate within him.

And wasn't it?

Stories of the First Men called them Wargs, said that they were one with the animals, with direwolf's and wolf's and fought with them in battle. Wasn't it in his blood? Part of his heritage through his mother? Through the Stark line? He had the blood of the First Men in his veins and was proud to have it, especially now.

He glanced down at the book then, knowing it would show him something, knowing it had to, and he wasn't disappointed.

**Warg (Perk!)**

**You have gained a new attribute.**

**You have shown you are a Warg! This allows you to be one with animal companions, currently you have 1 companion, your direwolf Ghost. You may have up to 3 (in certain circumstances more can be gained, but only through special quests), and some companions will be more difficult than others! The more you warg the better you will get but it will be hard at first!**

**+1 Perception, +1 Agility.**

**Warging allows the unlocking of the Perk Skinchanging, though this requires additional circumstances that are locked to you at the moment.**

A bigger grin split across his face then, and he looked back over at Ghost who was now napping happily. Jon was still shaking, elated, and yet he too felt tired. He could see what the book meant about warging being difficult, he felt drained, and though he knew he could traipse to the weirwood he didn't feel tired enough to justify that. Well, he supposed a nap wouldn't hurt, just for an hour or so before he got back to his plan for the day.

And so, he climbed back onto his bed, a smile on his face, and when he fell asleep, he dreamt of running in the forest Beyond the Wall, in the white wood, with four legs, in the snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo thoughts?
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed! what did you think of the ending? Jon being a warg will be a biggg part of this story so I hope you liked! also I loved the chapters where Jon had his 'wolf dreams' part of the reason this will be such a large plot point!
> 
> some quick things to address:
> 
> \- pacing, some people have been concerned that this is paced rather slow but it is necessary! we need to set up a lot before Jon heads out! there will be time skips (or this story would be like 800 chapters), but I'm not a huge fan of those so they will be limited!
> 
> \- age wise jon is 17 here, aged up a smidge, I will state the ages of others when relevant.
> 
> \- pairings, still not going to be revealed, but potential love interests will be revealed throughout, pairing will come eventually!
> 
> speak soon


	8. Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> authorsnote: here we goo
> 
> we are now out of pre-written chapters! it's gonee rogue. but for real next chapter is 2/3rd's done, will hopefully be up soon. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy, let me know if you do, or let me know if you don't! but pls keep it constructive. seriously one more bitchy comment about how I suck for not updating daily, or how I'm writing this story all wrong then I'm killing jon off I swear it (lol can you imagine, I'd have no story).
> 
> anywhoo, please enjoy, subscribe if you do!
> 
> songrecs: my tears ricochet - taylor swift (folklore is srsly amazing, go listen to it).

' _The Ink is Dry'_

He tossed and turned when sleep took him, images flashed across his gaze, the Wall, the Red Woman, a swirling blizzard of snow. Other pictures came to him, his brothers, Stannis burning Mance, Giants and Mammoths, but again and again the Wall, the Red Woman, and the blizzard of snow.

' _Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle'_

His brothers cheering as he unsheathed Longclaw, the Red Woman's eyes on him as he loosed the arrow to end the King Beyond the Wall.

' _There is no shame in fear'_

Giving out orders at Castle Black, climbing the Wall heart pounding, the blue eyes of the Others.

' _The only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid'_

A knife to the gut, a knife to the side, a knife to the heart.

' _The Ink is Dry Jon Snow!'_

' _The Ink is Dry!'_

A gasp left his lips as those words boomed in his head, he awoke, a gasp on his lips, only a fraction quieter than the one that had woken him up here for the first-time weeks ago. He lifted a hand to his chest, but where scars should have been, there were none.

Already his dream was fading in his mind, running away, not to be remembered. _'The Ink is Dry'_ that he could remember, that constant phrase, but what did it mean?

He rolled over to look out of the window and could see it was dark now, he'd slept for far longer than a nap. He glanced over at Ghost who was also fast asleep, clearly warging was harder on the body than he had realised.

He smiled a little then – _warg_ , he would never have thought, and yet as he looked over at Ghost, he knew, it was right.

The connection he felt with Ghost, it made sense that it manifested into his warging abilities. He was half Stark after all, they had always had a connection to their wolves, and now Jon did too. He felt proud of that, to follow his ancestors.

With a yawn he knew he needed to rest some more, and so he patted the bed and the slumbering Ghost awoke to jump onto the soft sheets, to settle down next to him. Already the dream had faded, leaving only those words, the words he was so sure were important but had no idea what they meant.

And so, with little learned he rolled over to go back to sleep, he still felt tired, better to sleep some more, wake fresh in the morning and go from there.

Sleep came quickly, and this time he dreamt of Winterfell.

* * *

Come morning Jon felt refreshed when he awoke. It was early he could tell, dawn just barely breaking through the clouds. Still, he felt good. Warging might have taken it out of him but sleep had restored him, he felt better, and ready to go about the day.

He knew soon the King would be coming, and then there was the tour, a lot was happening, and he had to keep on track with the book as well. Honestly, he had thought his old life was stressful, as Lord Commander his decisions had been key to ensuring the Long Night did not come again, but here? The stress was worse.

He had a unique chance to save his family and ensure the future did not fall into darkness as the last had. He had a chance to change things, and so the pressure was the most he'd ever felt.

It was terrifying, the amount of pressure, the consequences if he messed up, the chance he had been given. But what else was there to do but try?

With a nod to himself he stood up from bed, left Ghost slumbering and got ready for the day. A hot bath was a nice way to start, and by the time he was done he felt even better than before, he could feel a little fire in his veins, he'd need to train today, among everything else he had to do as well.

He then sat down on his bed and pulled out the book, this felt like a constant part of his day now, and yet it was good, he was sure without a guide he would have no idea what to do.

He thought about that for a moment, what would he have done if he had arrived back here but with no explanation? Gone mad? Worried? Panicked? Probably all three. As he lifted his book, he felt some warmth rush through him, yeah, he was glad to have this with him.

He flipped through, resisting the temptation to read over some of the stuff he'd looked over before, instead he flipped straight to the 'quests' section, he had a lot to do, he couldn't get distracted. Tonight, he'd make sure to read through it some more, but for the day he needed to focus on other things.

**Current Quests!**

**Where to Go?**

**Prepare for your Tour by researching Old Valyria.**

**Rewards: +5 to High Valyrian Reading, 50XP.**

**Failure: -5 to High Valyrian Talking, -100XP**

**Brothers Prepared.**

**Discuss your Tour with Robb.**

**Rewards: +5 Relationship with Robb, 50XP**

**Failure: -100XP**

So, the second one was new, but something he had intended to do anyway. The rewards were small, but he was noticing that the smaller quests were getting a little stingier with rewards, he just hoped the big quests continued to offer large rewards.

He supposed it made sense, the more XP he gained and the more he levelled up and improved his skills the harder it would be. It made sense, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

For today he'd complete the 2nd quest at lunch, and the 1st before bed. That left him a lot of time, and he wanted to train. He wasn't sure why today, but he felt a burn to get out and spar, to work his muscles hard.

Sometimes he'd get like that at Castle Black, a fire in his belly to train and train hard. Sure, Master Rodrick wouldn't drill him as hard as Ser Allister, but the man certainly did his job.

Clean and ready for the day he left Ghost slumbering and made his way for the door. First breakfast and then to training.

* * *

At breakfast he was alone, it was early, very early. The servants bustled about, setting up for when everyone else would pile in. He was happy with something small, he never liked to train on a full stomach, he'd eat his fill at lunch later.

And so, he ate down some bread, bacon, and potatoes before wiping his hands, washing it down with a large cup of water, before heading out.

It was cold today, very cold, but he knew he'd soon work up a sweat in training. He was soon out in the yard, and deep into his warmup when the rest of the castle began to rise.

He remembered Castle Black, even as a Steward he had drilled daily on his combat skills, to make sure he was strong and ready for whatever came.

As he did push up's he remembered Pip, struggling to do 10 and groaning as he hit the mud. As he began to do crunches, he remembered Grenn, lamenting the small breakfast and dreaming of lunch. As he jogged on the spot to warm up his legs he thought of Ed, rolling his eyes. As he began to hit the practice dummy with his sword he remembered trying to teach Sam and giving up as soon as he realised there was no chance he'd get anything, instead it was better to focus on his books. And then as he began to practice his archery, he felt a pang as he thought of Ygritte, readying an arrow, laughing as it fired, red hair of fire, smiling.

He missed them all, so much, and yet in this world they didn't even know him. His brothers, his first love, they didn't have the memories he had and likely never would. He knew he would just need to cherish said memories, hold onto them, make sure he didn't forget them.

As he thought about that, about the importance of holding onto his memories, he saw a shimmering silver glow wash over him, the glow he knew came from the book, he then saw the scrawled words enter his vision and then without any more warning than that, he was pulled under.

' **Insights into the Past!'** The words had said, and then he was gone.

He was Beyond the Wall, he could see that immediately, the rolling snowy hills, the sheets of ice, the cold whip of the air, and yet he felt no cold, not as he looked on, and saw … himself.

He was older than he was now, younger than when he had left his old life, but it was him, and he was smiling, marching with Mance's army, he could see that now, and he knew before he looked, and felt that same pang … there was Ygritte, _kissed by fire,_ by his side, smiling too.

He could see them marching along, laughing, smiling, and then Ygritte spoke, and he nearly fell to his knees to hear her voice again.

' _A man can own a woman or a man can own a knife, but no man can own both. Every little girl learns that from her mother'_ He remembered this, remembered her trying to teach him some wildling words, whilst always laughing that he knew nothing, always telling him he was a kneeler, but also hinting he could be free with her.

' _And men can't own the land no more'n they can own the sea or the sky' She_ carried on, her fire red hair so bright against the backdrop of the snow. He watched himself walking next to her, smiling, only Ygritte had made him smile so freely.

' _You kneelers think you do, but Mance is going t'show you different'_ She finished her words then and shot him a grin before shoving him. He laughed and the scene began to fade, as though disappearing.

"No!" He called, his eyes fixed on her, on Ygritte, and yet even as he yelled, she didn't turn. She only walked with the man he had been, the two marching on, unaware of what would happen. "No!" He yelled again, but then it was gone.

He was back in Winterfell.

He let out a gasp as he came back, but he realised as he looked around, saw the bow in his hands … no time had passed at all. He had been Beyond the Wall, in a memory for a good five minutes and yet no time here had passed. He felt an ache start in his head, and then of course the glow appeared.

' **You have just experienced the Insights into the Past PERK! This perk is useful for studying your past runs but remember a man who lingers in the past may get lost there!'**

So that explained it. He felt the urge to try and trigger it again, to see Ygritte again, or perhaps to see his brothers, but he remembered the last line with warning … _lost_.

He knew it was true, he knew he could get lost in memories of Ygritte, and he as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't. He had to be here, in the present, now. He had to focus on what needed to be done, on saving his family, on saving Westeros.

Perhaps one day he would see Ygritte again, but he knew he couldn't go chasing her memory.

With determination now, and yet that hollow sad feeling still present, he lifted his bow and fired another arrow.

* * *

2 hours later and he was exhausted, training had been hard, but it had been worth it. He could feel aches in his muscles that would strengthen them, and the breakneck pace he had set ensured he was distracted from his little trip down memory lane.

It was approaching lunch now and he knew Robb would be emerging from lessons. Jon had lessons too, but less than Robb, the Heir. Jon knew it would be best to catch up with Robb at lunch, to set a time to discuss the tour. With a nod to himself he knew he had some time and decided to head for a wash first. He had worked himself hard after all.

One quick bath later and he was back dressed again and heading for lunch. The book had been quiet today, which was odd, but he knew what he needed to focus on, the tour, it would be important, vital even for his future.

And so, once he reached the hall, he was glad to see Robb just sitting down, the only one at the top table, he wondered where the rest of the Stark's were, but was glad to have Robb's full attention.

He slid in the seat next to his brother and smiled at him. He still thought of him as his brother, even now he knew the truth. He and Robb were brothers, even if not through blood. Robb smiled back and patted him on the shoulder before starting to spoon lunch onto his place, Jon followed suit.

For a few minutes they sat in silence as they loaded their plates. Robb went for his usual of sausages, potatoes, a little veg, heaped with gravy. Jon, who had become used to the simple fair at the Wall knew he had to be careful not to eat too rich. He went for sausages too, but with bread, chunks of swede on the side, with only a dribble of sauce on top.

As soon as they started to eat, Jon spoke up, "So, any thoughts on the Tour?" Better to get Robb's opinion before giving his own.

Robb nodded immediately, and answered, "Well, I think the Free Cities should be our first stop, and then maybe further East?"

Jon nodded in return, he liked the idea of going to the Free Cities, there was a possible Valyrian Steel sword in Bravos after all, Blackfyre at that! But that wasn't only where he really to go, no… somewhere else offered promise too.

"I like the sound of that" Robb seemed pleased by that, and speared his sausage, Jon picked up his bread before continuing, "But how do you feel about going further South, maybe try and see some ruins?"

Robb seemed a little confused then, "Which ruins?"

"Valyria" Jon knew he just had to come out with it, this was where he wanted to go, it offered so much promise, he remembered the perk **'Home Away from Home'** , he hadn't taken it, which part of him regretted now.

He had read about Valyria as a boy, but he knew now it offered much more than he had realised. Also, the book clearly wanted him to go there what with the prompting of the research quest. And then there was the locked quest **'The Doom'** , would that trigger if he went to Valyria? He wasn't sure, but he wanted to find out.

There was also the temptation to go to Valyria for the Valyrian Steel, after all he could see Valyrian Steel on the map, would he see it there?

Either way, his aim for this tour was to return with Valyrian Steel, no matter where he got it.

Suddenly he felt the book's heat again, and the silver glow, and he watched as script wrote in front of him, he was a little confused, as he already had a Valyrian Steel quest, but as he read it he realised what had changed. This wasn't a new quest, just slightly amended.

**Quest Alert!**

**Modified Quest: Obtain a Valyrian Steel sword.**

**The possible sword's you may obtain are as follows:**

**Longclaw – Quest: The Nights Watch.**

**Dark Sister – Quest: Egg.**

**Blackfyre – Quest: The Merchant.**

**New! Brightroar – Lost in Valyria.**

**Reward: A Valyrian Steel sword, and +10 to Valyrian Steel skill, +10 reputation with all people (excluding pacifists), +1000 XP.**

**Failure: -20 to Valyrian Steel skill, -1 AGI, -1 LUC.**

**This is an active quest; active quests are ongoing and do not have to be selected, thus they are hard to fail. Failure will only be determined if the quest becomes impossible to achieve.**

Jon's mouth near dropped open as he realised how the quest had been modified – there was another sword available, and it was Brightroar, the famous sword of House Lannister! And it was in Valyria! Well if he hadn't wanted to go before…

As the script disappeared Jon turned back to Robb, and was glad to see his brother in contemplation, having missed the moment Jon had gone silent and being staring off into space. Now though Jon shoved his shoulder, and Robb turned to him.

"Isn't Valyria supposed to be dangerous?" Robb asked, concern etched across his features.

"We won't go in" Jon said with a convincing scoff, even if said words were a complete lie. Lying hardly sat right with him, but he remembered the new perk he had, **'What Needs to be Done'.** Sometimes, unfortunately lying was necessary, and here it was necessary. "Just to look"

Robb seemed a little mollified by that, but still not convinced, "But why? We could go and explore Qarth, Volantis, hell even go to the Summer Isles!" Robb rolled his eyes then, "But you want to go look at some ruins we can't even explore?"

"Well we could explore brother, if you weren't so chicken" Jon teased a little, and Robb spluttered in indignation before giving him a good shove, which Jon laughed at.

"Why then Jon?" Robb asked, and Jon knew lying here wouldn't cut it … perhaps just bending the truth.

"Just imagine it Robb" Jon said, he knew now was his one chance to convince Robb to do this, he knew it was now or never, "Imagine seeing the place we've only heard about, the place where famous Valyrian Steel comes from, the place people always speak about in wonder?" He smiled a little then, and could see Robb looked a little wistful, perfect. "Just imagine seeing it, something we'd have never thought to see aye? Imagine"

Robb nodded then and Jon had to stop himself from grinning, and instead just nodded and smiled. Perfect.

"Aye alright" Robb said, and Jon did clap him on the shoulder in thanks. He was hardly surprised to feel the heat of the book then, see the glow and the script appear. Robb turned back to his food, and so Jon turned to look at what the book was offering now.

**Quest Alert!**

**Explore Old Valyria.**

**Explore the ruins of Old Valyria to uncover some interesting secrets and trigger the quest 'The Doom'. Careful, this quest will be extremely difficult, and 'The Doom' even harder.**

**Rewards: Trigger the Quest 'The Doom', +1 LUC, +1 MAG, Unlocks Full Map of Valyria, 500XP.**

**Failure: Quest, 'The Doom' is locked, -2 LUC, -2 MAG, Full Map of Valyria is locked.**

**This is an active quest; active quests are ongoing and do not have to be selected, thus they are hard to fail. Failure will only be determined if the quest becomes impossible to achieve.**

Jon near chocked on his food then as he read those words. This quest seemed crazy. Difficult and yet the rewards were amazing, the failures even worse though. He wasn't sure what **'The Doom'** quest would look like but he sure as hell wanted to find out.

He knew he needed to be careful then, hell the book had given him a warning! He had to be cautious here, and yet he felt a little giddy. Surely Valyria offered all kinds of opportunities, as dangerous as it would be.

This tour would surely be amazing.

With a nod, he knew researching Old Valyria some more would be necessary, and he resolved to start the quest **Where to Go?** Tonight.

"So, Bravos, Old Valyria, where else?" Jon asked, and Robb shrugged.

"Well, Valyria will take a while, so maybe do the Free Cities, go a little East, round to Old Valyria and then home?" Jon nodded then, it was a good plan, and he smiled, as did Robb. He could see his brother was excited, as was he.

"Great" With that he felt the book again, and that same silver shimmer, but this time he knew what was coming.

**Quest Completed!**

**Brothers Prepared.**

**Discuss your Tour with Robb.**

**Rewards: +5 Relationship with Robb, 50XP**

**Current XP: 1000/2000XP, Relationship with Robb +5 = 90**

With that they both tucked back into their lunch, and soon the Hall began to fill, and they were joined at the top table. First by Arya and Sansa, and Lady Catelyn (who at least didn't order Jon to move, as she had before), and then his Uncle joined them, he knew Bran and Rickon were likely napping or in lessons.

"How are you both?" His Uncle enquired, and the two brothers nodded.

"Good" Robb replied, as he speared a potato, "We were just discussing the tour"

"It's not fair!" Arya interjected, and Sansa rolled her eyes at her little sister, having clearly heard Arya's opinion on this before, and by the look on her face, it had been _many_ times before.

"Why can't I go?" Arya demanded, and Robb laughed, Jon almost did too but managed to smother it at Arya's glare. "Why not? Why not?"

"Because young Lady you are not old enough nor is it appropriate" Her mother snapped, evidently, she'd heard this argument too.

He could see Arya, turn red, gearing up to argue, but his Uncle stepped in before his little sister (as yes, he still considered Arya to be his sister) could erupt.

"Arya" Was all he had to say and she slumped down, deflated, sure she'd go toe to toe with her siblings, even argue with her Mother, but she knew when it came to her Father it was pointless to argue, it was pointless to even try.

Eddard Stark had always been like that, if he had made up his mind, he did not change it, which was concerning for Jon, considering how he had to go about convincing his Uncle soon to refuse the summons South.

Ugh, he reached for another sausage then, he didn't even want to think about that, his head hurt every time he contemplated that task.

And yet, at his Uncle's next words, he knew he had no choice but to think about it and think about it now.

"I do have news" Eddard Stark said, placing down his fork, and turning to his children, wife, and nephew. Jon placed his hand on his inner pocket then, waiting for the book to respond, for knew whatever this news was would make it do so.

"I received a raven, the King is a week away now, and that message was sent two days ago, which means he'll be here in five days' time"

For a moment there was silence, and then the room broke out into chatter. Sansa was grinning from ear to ear, Arya was looking petulant and glaring at anyone who looked her way, Lady Catelyn had jumped to her feet and was hurrying off to talk to the servants, and Robb immediately struck up a conversation with his Father.

Jon however spoke to no one, and just waited. Seconds passed and his brow furrowed? Would the book have something for him? He was sure it would. It seemed with every major change in his life there was a quest or a perk or something.

He felt something then … _panic_. He knew he needed to not overly rely on the book, and yet it was his guide, he couldn't be without it. He looked down at his lap then, his eyebrows knitting together. Thankfully, his family were more used to seeing him brooding than smiling, so he was left be as he contemplated the absence of a quest.

Fortunately, he didn't have to worry for long, as, as soon as Eddard Stark rose and exited the main hall, the familiar wash of silver appeared.

Jon felt acute relief as the script began to write in front of him, but also a little bit of worry remained. He knew this book was his guide, and following it was wise, but he also knew he couldn't be ruled by it.

He thought then, was this book letting him make his own decisions? Well yes, it was just advising him on what was the best path forward not deciding the path for him. Mollified Jon felt a little better, and then, the script that had appeared before him disappeared, before a different set of sentences took the previous writings place.

**Own Man (Perk!)**

**You have gained a new attribute.**

**You know how important it is to make your own decisions and not rely on others. This determination to decide your own fate is brave, and yet may sometimes lead you to trouble!**

**+1 PER, +5 Bravery.**

Jon smiled then, it was good to know he was being rewarded for wanting to make his own decisions, and he intended to do just that. This book was his guide, not his decision maker.

He had to remember that he had to make the decisions, the book couldn't do it for him, and he knew he had many difficult decisions to make going ahead.

Once the script denoting his new perk faded, the previous script returned, and Jon glanced around then, Robb still sat with him but was in deep contemplation of his own, Sansa and Arya were gone, and so Jon knew he could seem to look off into space without any questions.

**Quest Alert!**

**The Pack.**

**Stop your Uncle, Eddard Stark from going South with the King.**

**Reward: Eddard Stark remains in the North, you gain +10 relationship with him, +10 relationship with Lady Catelyn. +10 Persuasion, +1 LUC, +200XP**

**Failure: Eddard Stark, Arya Stark and Sansa Stark go to Kings Landing. There descent will have deadly consequences that will play out in the future. -1 LUC, -500XP.**

**This is a time sensitive quest! If you fail to complete this quest before the timer runs out, then you will fail it. Time sensitive quests offer less XP bonus, but generally higher other bonuses. These quests are also known as 'storyline' quests, in that they have a huge impact on the future! They will be rarer than other quests, but it is highly recommended you complete them!**

**Time Remaining: 5 days.**

Just 5 days, 5 days to complete his biggest quest yet.

He had no idea how he was going to do it.

"I think I'm going to lie down" Jon turned to Robb then, and his brother just nodded, clearly keen to be lost in his own thoughts. Part of Jon wanted to stay, to ask Robb what was wrong, but this time? This time he had more important things to focus on.

Prioritising his family was the most important thing, but he could pick Robb's brain for his worries later, for now he had to determine how he was going to save his Uncle's life, because Eddard Stark going South would surely only end one way, and that was with his Uncle's head on a pike on the walls of Kings Landing.

He was quick to hurry back to his room, ignoring everyone he passed, Ghost at his heels, and as soon as he arrived, he ushered Ghost inside, locked the door behind him, and sunk down to sit on his bed, head between his knees.

How was he going to pull this off?

He had _no_ idea.

* * *

Ten minutes later and no closer to an answer, Jon was pacing, Ghost was looking at him with barely concealed humour, and curled onto his master's bed, contemplating a nap, whilst Jon was panicking, completely and utterly panicking.

How was he supposed to pull this off? To persuade his Uncle to deny his best friend? To have his Uncle go against his duty? It seemed impossible, and yet clearly the book thought it was possible, he just had no idea how.

He did feel a little reassured at that line of thought, surely if this quest were impossible then the book wouldn't offer it? Every quest he had, had so far had been achievable, and so that suggested this one was achievable, just _a lot_ harder.

He went through a dozen or more ideas through his mind. Fake an injury? No, his Uncle would see that, and it would need to be severe to even get him to stay. Fake his death? It would certainly keep his Uncle North but would create a whole host of other problems! Have Robb plead to him? No, his Uncle wouldn't listen to pleas.

No, he was lost, he had no idea what to do.

He paced back and forth, and then reached sat himself back down on the bed, the jumped up to pace, and then back to sitting down, all with that brooding expression on his face.

An hour passed in that manner, and he knew, he knew then, there was only one way this was going to work.

He would have to persuade his Uncle not to go, and that would require some guilt, some lies, and a lot of luck. With a small sigh he reached for his book and read over the quest again. This would not be easy.

With a deep breath he stood to his feet, he knew his Uncle would be in his solar at this point in the day and there was no use putting off the inevitable, he had just 5 days, not enough time, not enough at all, and so he needed to get started quickly.

An idea was forming now, yes, he would talk to his Uncle directly, but he would need more than that. He was reminded then of when Sam had rallied for him to be Lord Commander, and Jon knew his best chance of completing this quest, keeping his Uncle, Arya, and Sansa safe … was to do something similar.

He'd appeal to his Uncle first, and then, then he'd set it up, sew the seeds throughout Winterfell to have others appeal, just as Sam had sewn the seeds to get the votes to make him the 998th Lord Commander of the Wall, he would need to do the same, to have Eddard Stark bombarded on all sides by reasons to stay.

That was his best bet.

Jon was not a fan of lying, of having to be cunning, to play the game per say, but he knew sometimes it was necessary, sometimes it had to be done, and for his Uncle? For the man he'd thought of as a Father? For the man who'd raised him? He'd do anything.

With that decided he made his way to his door, he grabbed his cloak, opened his door, and made his way through Winterfell, through the weave of corridors, determined and constructing his appeal in his head. Once he reached his Uncle's solar, he paused for just a minute outside of the door, then with a deep breath, and determination in his belly he knocked.

"Come in" His Uncle called, and Jon steeled himself, gritted his teeth and pushed his hand against the wood. He could do this, he could.

And it was _time_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliffhanger? I know I'm the worst muhahahaha.
> 
> soo thoughts?
> 
> did you love, hate, feel complete apathy towards it? let me know! I appreciate feedback, providing it is constructive.
> 
> also I know this is only 5k words, but honestly, I already have the next chapter planned out and this felt like a natural stopping point.
> 
> speak soon


	9. Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly this chapter was so hard to write, but so very satisfying when it finished. slightly shorter chapter but it felt natural.
> 
> please comment if you liked/any thoughts, but more importantly enjoy!
> 
> also check out my fav jon snow video: (got) jon snow || the white wolf - zurik 23m
> 
> songrecs: kill the boy - ramin djawadi

In his old life, as a man at the Wall, as a man of the Watch and even during his brief stint as a wildling, Jon had discovered many things about himself he knew he wouldn't have had he not left the comforting walls of Winterfell.

He had discovered that he was a damn good swordsman, swinging a blade as though he were born to it. He had discovered that even as a bastard there were places he fitted in, in the world; with his brothers, with Ygritte, in the seat of the Lord Commander. And finally, he had discovered that he had a good mind for tactics, strategy, and warfare.

And so, as he pushed open the door to his uncle's solar, he knew this conversation and his subsequent plan would be much like planning and winning a battle. It would require cunning, preparation, planning and even some deceit.

Because, whereas Eddard Stark and his son after him in Robb had placed honour so very high on the list of priorities, Jon perhaps was too cynical now for that. Yes, he would always value honour and see its importance, but he had also learnt that sacrificing it in the name of winning, in the name of making the correct tactical decision, well it was sometimes necessary. Here, he knew it would be necessary.

Sometimes one had to sacrifice personal honour to the bigger picture.

Once he stepped inside, he saw his uncle at his desk, surrounded by papers, books, and files. He hadn't been in here much as a child, and yet he found himself comparing it to the Lord Commander's solar, after all they were seats of power, one he had sat in himself.

Here his uncle had a great map on the wall of the North, but it stopped at the Wall, in his old solar there had been a great map that started at The Gift and then spanned as far North as had been charted, ending in the Lands of Always Winter, with no one sure what lay beyond. Here his uncle's desk was covered with the wood not showing through, his had been less cluttered, but none the less busy. Ice stood leant against his uncle's desk, whereas Longclaw had been at his. Here the solar was warmer, with a family portrait on the wall, whereas at Castle Black? His office had been impersonal, cold, and designed not for the Stark family, but for the brothers that would come after him.

Two seats of power, so very different, and yet he noted some similarities as well.

Like him his uncle kept a large jug of water on his desk, for leading was thirsty work. The rugs here were made of bear skins and pelts, just as those at the Wall. The tapestry on the Wall here was one of the Stark's, but his old solar had also had a tapestry of Castles on the Wall. The chairs were the same too, rough wood with leather seats.

Similarities and differences, in two solars so far from one another, one in which his uncle sat and the other in which he had once sat, but not now, perhaps never again.

He shook his head to himself then, he did not need to be contemplating his future right now, first he had to save his uncle, and then he could think about his future and his plans, first he had to stop the disaster that had set the Stark family on the lonely and catastrophic road it had. The future would come later.

"Jon?" His uncle looked confused at his presence, usually his children didn't come to him, they were summoned, but he still held out a hand for him to sit. Jon had noticed subtly his uncle now treated him a little differently, less like a child, more like a man. He wasn't sure if that was because of the revelations between the two of them, or how he was acting now, more grown man than green boy, but it was welcome all the same.

"Uncle" He nodded then, took a seat. He hadn't rehearsed what he was going to say but he knew what he needed to do.

' _The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny'_

He remembered those words from Maester Aemon, his kin as he now knew – the old Maester had been full of wise proverbs, one's he could well use now.

"I need to talk to you" Jon said, and his uncle sighed, that wasn't good. "About you going South"

"I gathered" His uncle shook his head then and reached not for the jug of water but reached under his desk for a decanter of wine. That was another difference, the Lord Commander didn't keep wine under his desk but harsh Northern whisky, brewed at the Wall, strong and guaranteed to knock a man off his feet. "Here" He poured them both out a fair measure, and then sat back, his expression one of discontent.

"Lady Catelyn was here before you, and Robb before her" He shook his head, "They both anticipate I intend to follow the King South as his Hand" He paused then, as though deciding his words, "What do you think?"

There was that subtle shift again, asking his opinion here rather than explaining what would happen. Eddard Stark was a good father, always willing to listen to his children, but in matters as important as this? Jon was a little surprised to see him be so open, to see him seek another opinion.

"I think you intend to go" Jon said, his uncle didn't look surprised, "I think it is a mistake, Lady Stark and Robb said the same?"

"Aye" He shook his head then, took a big gulp of his wine, "But I must go Jon, I must support my friend"

"The same friend who murdered my siblings?" He saw his uncle wince then, a look of horror taking over his face.

_Strategy: Guilt._

"Jon…" He paused then, a sigh leaving his lips, "That was Tywin Lannister"

"The same Tywin whose daughter he married, and son who sits on his Kingsguard?" His uncle dipped his head then and spoke.

"What he did was wrong, we fell out over my protest of it" He took another drink and Jon followed suit, "But now? Jon Arryn is dead, he is surrounded by vipers, he will need me, he does need me"

"Or the vipers will note that you are the only thing stopping their climb to power and will kill you and then Robert"

_Strategy: Incite fear._

"That won't happen" He shook his head then, but Jon could see a hint of doubt. "I won't let that happen" There was his uncle, so sure, so brave, Jon was proud to have inherited that from him. He knew he was brave; it wasn't something he bragged about but something he had simply been taught. The Stark family did not breed cowards.

"The Southerner's have no honour" Jon said, "None at all, they will tear you apart to get the crown, or to ensure Robert keeps on whoring and drinking and not ruling so they can"

"What do you know of the Southerner's or the rule?" Suspicion crept into his uncle's voice then and Jon knew he needed to back off a little, just a hint.

"Servants talk, you know we often get new servants coming to Winter Town" His uncle nodded then, as though that were an acceptable answer, though he still had a hint of suspicion. Usually that would make Jon back off, but whilst on this topic he needed to drive one-point home.

"I actually stopped at an inn the other week, when I went hunting"

_Strategy: Lie_

"Oh?" This felt a bit like a game, it was odd, to be dancing around his words. At the Wall he had done this sometimes, with the wildlings it had been his whole life, but with his uncle? The deception felt wrong.

Wrong, but _necessary_.

"I met a servant girl who'd travelled from Kings Landing, she spoke of the boy Prince, Joffrey?"

"And?"

"Apparently he mistreats his servants, beat this one half bloody before she managed to flee" He took another sip of wine, blatant lies here, but word had travelled about Joffrey's madness, even to the Wall, the stories themselves may be lies but the picture he was painting wasn't. "Apparently he cuts open the bellies of cats, strikes peasants and beats whores"

A flash of worry crossed over his uncle's face then and Jon knew he had him.

"If you go South, no doubt the King will expect Sansa to go as well, most likely as this Prince's betrothed" Horror then struck Eddard Stark, and Jon knew he had to leave it at that, anymore pushing and he'd look too suspicious, he had already acted far differently than the boy he had been, practically revealed information he shouldn't know and had tactically deployed the information in a way he shouldn't be able to. He needed to leave it here.

Until…

"You think I shouldn't go?" His uncle poured them both another serving of wine then, and Jon nodded. He had planned to leave, he wasn't acting like his old self, but his uncle seemed to preoccupied to notice that, thankfully.

"Aye" Now was the time to drop the hints, now was the time to be more practical whilst he could.

_Strategy: Observe and point out the obvious._

"You're needed here, a winter comes, a long one as our words say, and with Robb and I going on tour Winterfell needs you"

"Robert needs me" He said then, another gulp, and Jon lifted his wine then and drained his, there was nothing else to say here, not now, not yet. He needed to give his uncle time to consider all of this, and then come back when the second half of his plan had happened.

"Then you have a choice to make" Jon stood then, "Thank you for listening to me uncle"

"Of course, Jon" Eddard Stark stood with him, and Jon made for the door. As he left, he saw his uncle sit back down and caught a glance at his expression and Jon knew this plan would work.

Providing the next part went smoothly of course.

_Strategy: Bring in reinforcements._

* * *

Over the next two days Jon deployed the second part of his plan.

First, he sent in Rickon.

It was easy (and slightly guilt inducing), to work up his youngest brother (for he still thought of Rickon, Bran and Robb as his brothers). Simply denying him a cookie and then steering him into his uncle's office was enough for Rickon to have a meltdown that Eddard Stark interpreted as his youngest son needing him.

Then he sent in Bran.

This time he hadn't had to trick, instead he'd sent Bran in with a pre-rehearsed speech that was just sincere enough to not seem planned. His little brother begged and pleaded for his father to stay, even going as far to promise to never climb another wall. Jon had innocently strolled past and shared a wink with Bran as he was leaving, and his uncle's expression of guilt had been promising.

Arya was far too impulsive to coach, instead he just sent her in as her usual self.

He expected her to scream and shout, but the fact she instead turned on the waterworks was far better than what he'd hoped. She cried, promised to be a better Lady, asked her uncle if he was leaving because of her (honestly she was doing better than if he would have planned it with her), and he could have sworn he saw his uncle dab at his eyes as Arya left, grinning as soon as she was out of sight.

Sansa next, now here he had, had to lie a little – though again it wasn't really lying. He just ensured she overheard a conversation he had with a servant about the rumours he'd heard about Prince Joffrey, how apparently he was cruel, unkind, and most importantly had caught measles as a child and now had several active pustules on his chest at all times.

His cousin had then marched into her father's office point blank refusing to marry the Prince (though her screaming about how she would not marry anyone who'd ever had measles did muddy the point a little). She sobbed and begged, and then stormed away. Point made.

Robb next, and it was easy for him to pretend the two would go and talk to their father separately. Jon of course already had, and planned to again, Robb had already as well, but Eddard Stark was considerably worn down when Robb marched in and simply said he wasn't ready to rule alone.

His brother and uncle had shared a hug as he had again wandered past – he knew they were close.

Finally, Lady Catelyn did it on her own, he had heard her sobbing through the door twice over the 2 days, begging her husband not to leave.

And at the end of the 2 days Jon stepped inside the solar again, to find the once full wine decanter near empty now, dark circles under his uncle's eyes, and the stack of papers on his desk even a little higher.

"Uncle" He began.

"Save it Jon" Eddard Stark looked up at him then, and shook his head, "I know you put your brothers and sisters up to this"

 _Fuck_.

Jon had counted on the fact this plan would work as he was a better strategist now, but he had slightly overlooked his uncle was a veteran commander and had clearly figured out his plan. Fuck. This was bad, he should realise now that even though others underestimated him by nature of not knowing what he had been through, he shouldn't underestimate others.

That was one of the main pillars of battle – _never underestimate your opponents._

He had messed up here, in battle he might be dead. He needed to remember this, that underestimating one's opponents could get a person killed. With his uncle he hadn't even considered he'd catch onto his plan, and now he had to turn it around, and turn it around fast.

"I…" He began, now he was tongue tied, no longer the Lord Commander, now just Jon, his plan over.

"Why Jon?" His Uncle asked then, standing to his feet, "Just tell me why you went to all this trouble just to stop me going South"

For a mad moment Jon considered just telling the truth.

The lies, deception and cunning, not his best qualities, none of them were. He didn't like lying, he didn't like carrying this secret, this burden, but as he placed a hand over the book at his chest he knew; _he had no choice_. No one would believe his tale, and even if they did, they couldn't possibly understand what the future had been. They could never know nor understand.

No. He was in this alone, he accepted that, this was his burden to carry, and he would, it would be worth it, as long as he protected his family. _The pack._

"I don't want you to go" There, there was some honesty. Not quite the whole truth, but it was true. Jon remembered then, he remembered back to when his uncle had gone South the first time and he had gone North, much further North. The dread he had felt, the worry, the fear, it had all been real, and as he faced the prospect of his uncle going South again, those feelings came back.

Because Jon may have been a man in himself, a brother of the Nights Watch, a member of Mance Rayder's army, the Lord Commander of the Nights Watch, a dead man, but here he was still Jon. He was still young, still just Jon here, in his uncle's solar, facing the prospect that his uncle might leave, might leave, and be murdered in King's Landing again. Here he was just Jon facing the very real possibility that the man who had raised him, his father in all but blood would be gone.

' _You might not have my name, but you have my blood'_

"Oh Jon" His uncle waved then for him to take a seat, took one himself, went to pour them wine, realised it was empty and reached down again.

Jon near smiled when he saw the whisky he pulled up. Aha, more alike in that regard as well.

His uncle poured them both out a good measure, before he said something Jon was not expecting.

"I don't want to go either" Jon took a sip of his drink then, as did his uncle.

"Then why?"

"For honour, for my friend, to do what is right" Jon nodded, as though considering, he wasn't. He had that panicky feeling in his stomach then, that feeling that this was it, that this was the moment he had to get right, that this was the moment that would decide what his uncle did.

This was the moment that would determine his uncle's fate, and in a way, the fate of the Stark pack.

This was the moment, the crucial moment, and he had to get it right.

Alone, that was what Jon was in all of this, alone in trying to save the pack, save his family. _Alone_.

"What about doing right here? Preparing the North for winter? Ruling whilst Robb and I tour? Staying with me" He paused then, heavily debated in his mind not continuing, but he knew, he knew his uncle was not convinced, he knew he must go a step further, even if it was a low blow, wrong and perhaps not fair, he had to. Doubt still lingered on his uncle's face, he was still torn, he had to go for the kill.

"What about keeping the promise to my mother?"

For a second it looked like Eddard Stark was going to yell, to fly off his handle in a way he never did, to berate Jon for such a low blow, to kick him out and shout at him for being so callous as to bring up such a topic. For a moment Jon thought he had blown it.

But then … he saw his uncle sink a little in his chair, and before his uncle spoke his decision he felt the warmth at his chest, saw the glow, and then the script appeared, and when it appeared it was quite possibly one of the best things he had ever seen.

**Quest Completed!**

**The Pack.**

**Stop your Uncle, Eddard Stark from going South with the King.**

**Reward: Eddard Stark remains in the North, you gain +10 relationship with him, +10 relationship with Lady Catelyn. +10 Persuasion, +1 LUC, +200XP**

**Current XP: 1200/2000**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo thoughts?
> 
> as said slightly shorter chapter, but the next one is going to be big I think, and this felt like such a natural stopping point it was perfect.
> 
> I know some people might say jon is not this manipulative but he was coming at it from an angle of tactical, like winning a battle, not in manipulating and deceiving. I think he played it well in line with what jon would do.
> 
> also, I am loving people commenting their theories for this fic! please keep doing so, I can confirm no one has guessed the meaning of the title yet, nor the 'big' kind of reveal I guess? there are going to be a fair few reveals that made me gasp when I thought of them!
> 
> pls comment and subscribe, and I hope you enjoyed
> 
> speak soon


	10. Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *trumpet sounds* du, du, du, duuuuuh! we have a new chapter, and we have hit double digits!
> 
> ahh I'm so excited for where this story is going, and I hope you are too! just a gentle reminder (lol this is like the mediating language I use at work), if you are going to offer criticism pls do be constructive, hate and demanding I update RIGHT NOW surprisingly does not get the creative juices flowing!
> 
> anywho, please enjoy, do let me know what ya think and subscribe for updates!
> 
> songrecs: new skin - verite

' _Ygritte' Red hair, red fire, eyes in the flames, a dancing image in the embers, smouldering._

_Snow then, cold, icicles winding down through caves, Ghost almost indeterminable from a snowbank, if not for his red eyes. A snow drift, a flurry, a storm, cold, white, wet, frozen._

_A hill, long, thin, dark … it means something, but it only flashes across before it is gone._

_Fire._

_Ice._

_That hill._

_Darkness._

* * *

The next morning when he woke he just couldn't seem to remember his dreams, he could only remember snow, a flash of red hair and a hill that he was sure was familiar but couldn't quite place, not quite.

As he sat up in his bed he felt a little ache in his head, a little niggle but it was soon gone. He felt odd in a way, like there was something he needed to remember, something in his dreams that was important, but even as he sat still, strained his mind, even glanced across at the book sat on his bedside table he just couldn't seem to recall.

It is both infuriating and a little concerning, he has never had such a fixation on his dreams before.

He remembered then the attribute **'Dragon Dreams'** that had come under the Valyrian religion, in hindsight perhaps he shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly, but then he thought of the Weirwood tree, and he knows, even with this odd feeling around his dreams now, that he couldn't have turned down the religion of the North, the religion of the Starks.

He had refused to let the Lady Melissandra burn the Godswood (or would have), he can't turn his back on the Old Gods, even if it helps him understand his dreams.

With a small sigh he stood, making his way to the bathroom, a splash of water on his face and he felt better and his mind finally left the dreams he can't seem remember and focuses on the day before, on his Uncle, on the result of a weeks' worth of work, of his battle plan, of the quest.

He had succeeded.

He is part relieved, part surprised. He knows Eddard Stark, knows him from the past life and this one, he knows he is stubborn, knows he is bound by honour and duty above all else, and yet he had been convinced, convinced by him.

It is success, and yet he can't take even a moment to revel in said success, the task may have been completed and now his Uncle won't descend to the viper pit in the South, but that is only the start of the work to do.

He has much, _much_ more work to do.

If he had lived less of a life he would have perhaps been overwhelmed or felt utterly weighed down by what was to come. The tasks he was expected to do, what he needed to do … it was too much for most seasoned adults, never mind barely an adult in the body of a teenager.

But he had no choice, he had to forge a path forward for his family, to protect them, to protect Westeros. He had so much to do, so much to come, when he thought about it, it made his headache, but then what choice did he have?

He wasn't sure why he had come back; what power had seen him rise from the grave or who had seen him come back to life, who or what had a hand in seeing him alive once more, but it must have been for a reason, it must have been for something important.

And he felt that, that reason had to be tied to the inevitable destruction of Westeros, and what he could do to prevent it. For himself, his family, and the people of this country. He had come back for a reason, and so he had a duty to honour that.

' _Duty is the death of love'_

' _Love is the death of duty'_

Perhaps in this instance duty wouldn't kill love, or family, or friendships, nor would love destroy duty, but instead in this instance duty would be driven by love, by purpose, by the future.

It was a nice thought and he found himself smiling, even considering all he had to do, and then he saw the book on his bedside table glow, and he smiled a little more at what appeared.

**Perk!**

**Two Steps Ahead.**

**You understand that sometimes what is to come is more important than what is happening in the present. The future is where decisions lie.**

**+1 PER, +10 Strategy.**

**Just remember thinking too far ahead may have you missing the events passing you by right now!**

Another minor perk that was positive, they were small but not insignificant and it was nice to have the positive reinforcement that he was thinking along the right tracks and the little bonuses that came with.

He had noticed the little warnings most perks came with though and felt he would need to look through his perks list soon, take note of the warnings.

With a nod to himself he quickly washed and dressed for the day, he wondered when his daily quests would refresh, and just as he thought such a thing he turned on instinct to see the book glowing again and almost laughed – he was in tune with it now, as it was with him. He couldn't imagine living this new life (old life, new life? He wasn't sure but trying to categorise it made his headache even more) without it.

**Quest Alert!**

**The North.**

**Study the Map of the North.**

**Reward: 100XP, +10 The North (Map).**

**Failure: -20 The North (Map).**

**Quest Alert!**

**The King.**

**Research King Roberts rebellion before he arrives.**

**Reward: +100XP, +5 Relationship with King Robert, +5 History.**

**Failure: -5 relationship with King Robert.**

The first he was excited about and could easily complete over breakfast, but he knew his expression had twisted at the second.

He had grown up on stories of his Uncle and Robert Baratheon, the King that had crushed the Targaryen dynasty, defeated the dragons, and been named King. Before he had listened, wide eyed, excited to hear more about great battles and triumphs, but now he had a slightly different take on it.

Robert Baratheon had rebelled against the Mad King (a man Jon realised now was his Grandfather, he shuddered at that and tried to move on), and that had made sense, but for Lyanna? His Mother? He had, had it all wrong. She hadn't been kidnapped and raped, she'd loved Rhaegar Targaryen and he had loved her.

He could hardly look at the King the same way now. Eddard Stark may have been his Father in almost every sense of the word, but Rhaegar was his blood, and apparently had not committed the crime all of Westeros believed him guilty for, that certainly changed things.

He wasn't sure how he felt towards the King, the man who'd killed his Father. The pragmatic part of him acknowledged they had been on opposing sides of the battlefield and the King had struck the blow to further the rebellion and take down the Mad King, but now part of him felt a little … _wrong_ at thinking that. Part of him felt a little sad even, imagining his Father, smashed to bits on the battlefield, rubies fallen into the Trident, days over.

He felt conflicted then, Roberts Rebellion had been for good reason, to depose the Mad King, but it had resulted in the death of Rhaegar Targaryen and perhaps even his Mother Lyanna, would she have died on the birthing bed had she been at home? Would Rhaegar have gotten her proper care had he been there? He found himself as he mulled it over thinking more about his Mother then than Rhaegar.

Though he could still imagine that hammer blow to the chest … rubies flying across the Trident, sinking into the water…

The usual glow of his book did surprise him this time, what could he have triggered?

**Quest Alert!**

**Rubies of the Trident.**

**Find Rhaegars lost rubies in the waters of the Trident. They will reveal powerful secrets about your Fathers heritage and last moments!**

**Reward: Unlock your Fathers heritage page, +500XP, +1 LUC, See your Fathers last moments!**

**Failure: Your Fathers heritage page remains locked, -1 PER, -1 LUC, You do not see your Fathers last moments.**

**This is an active quest; active quests are ongoing and do not have to be selected, thus they are hard to fail. Failure will only be determined if the quest becomes impossible to achieve.**

… _Interesting_.

The rewards were powerful, but he honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to see his Fathers last moments (that felt odd even to think – he heard the word 'Father' and he thought of Eddard Stark, not Rhaegar Targaryen), still this was an active quest, one that was certainly not a priority, and yet if the opportunity arose he would certainly try to complete it.

He also had to consider how hard it would be. Rhaegars lost rubies? Treasure hunters, peasants and even Lords had been searching for those for years. Still he gathered the book wouldn't have given it to him had it been impossible, but he still felt sceptical, he knew it would be difficult.

He closed the book then, grabbed his cloak, his weapons belt and whistled to Ghost. It was early but a longer breakfast would allow him some time to complete his map quest before lessons.

Ugh, lessons. To him they felt pointless, he already knew most of what Maester Luwin was telling him, and yet he knew he couldn't raise suspicion in not attending, and besides, he could always just plan his next moves in said lessons … providing he was sneaky.

Sneakiness had never been one of his strongest traits, he'd got better at it during his time on the Wall, but he'd never be a spymaster, but now he knew it would be important, as would every other skill. Ugh, he needed breakfast now before planning or considering anything more.

"Come on Ghost" He urged as he pulled his door shut and made his way down the corridors, there was a light snow coming down from the clouds, the air was crisp and the servants were bustling about, Winterfell was alive with activity.

Even with all that was to come, all the work he had to do, the future that lay so uncertain and concerning ahead, he did know one sure thing since he had returned…

It felt good to be home.

* * *

10 minutes later and in front of him sat a bowl of porridge, some bacon on the side and a cup of water, with his book hidden behind the bowl. The dining room was near empty, except for his Uncle who'd come in for food and soon wondered back out with a nod in Jon's direction.

He was glad to see there was little tension following his little coup last week, though he knew Lord Stark looked a little strained, the King was due to arrive soon after all.

Jon had to remember that, the King was close by, he needed to achieve some more quests, get set up and ready for Southerners descending on his home. He needed to be ready.

He knew how much had gone wrong during the Kings last visit (well last visit in his old life), he couldn't let those things go wrong again. He'd need to be hyper focused, which meant eliminating all other areas of distraction quickly over the next two days.

And so, as he bit down on a piece of bacon, he flipped through his book to the page he'd briefly glanced over before – the map of the North.

He could see now how detailed it was, how intricate, hell he couldn't even read some of it! He then had an idea and tapped on the area of Winterfell. With a grin he looked down as the map magnified in just to view Winterfell then, it gave him a heightened view, like looking through a spyglass, that would make things much, much easier. Tapping again took him back to the originally sized map, and he couldn't resist turning the page and then tapping in again on the Wall.

 _The Wall_ … he had good memories and bad memories there, had made foes and friends. He would always look fondly on that time, and part of him knew he would end up back there again, perhaps not as a brother or Lord Commander but somehow part of him just knew he would, it felt like something was tied to there with him. Destiny? Fate? He wasn't sure, but he could feel it.

He thought of the Wall then …

_Ygritte._

_Sam._

_Grenn._

_Pyp._

_Ed._

His brothers … his _lover_ , his memories of them would fade he knew but he would hold onto them hard. He may never meet them again, or perhaps he would, but things would be different, perhaps he wouldn't have the closeness he had, had with them …perhaps he would never feel Ygrittes touch again. But either way he had to hold on to those memories, he would hold on to them.

With a small sigh he took a bite of his porridge and forced himself to focus again, on the Wall, where he had tapped to look deeper into it.

He could see much more now, and see this map was a wealth of information – he was sure Maester Luwin would give a finger to see this now.

First, he looked at Castle Black.

Again, he could see the two Valyrian steel spots – denoting Longclaw, presumably with Lord Commander Mormont and then Dark Sister, hidden away with Maester Aemon. That still amazed him, to see a legendary Targaryen blade hidden at the Wall. He wondered if Maester Aemon would have given it to him had he known who he was. Would he have preferred it to Longclaw? With a small sigh he glanced at the castle forged sword at his hip, it was good steel but not Longclaw. He'd have to be careful not to get distracted in finding Valyrian steel, lest it become a priority. It was important of course, he'd be a far better fighter with it, but he couldn't focus on it (well not _too_ much at least).

He could see other things now though, he moved his finger over the map, and could see past the Wall the map was coloured red, the words **'danger'** were clear as he looked past the Haunted Forest. Some areas were a lighter red – wildling camps he recognised them as, and then some were darker – Thenn camps he knew. But then there was the darkest spot on the map, he even turned the page to glance at the map of the North and could see a few danger spots but there were none darker than the one Beyond the Wall.

The Lands of Always Winter.

It was a dark red spot, a deep, dark colour, like thick blood. He remembered from his 'bonuses' he was immune to cold, except for in the Lands of Always Winter. No one living had entered such a hellhole, or if they had, they hadn't lived to tell the tale.

He remembered even the wildlings would go white as a sheet when talking about that place, considered it worse than Hardhome, even the grisliest of Thenns didn't like talking about it. It was a place of nightmares, of the Others, of death.

It was blood red on the map, showing danger but there was nothing else there, no marks, no spots, nothing. Jon even risked zooming in, feeling almost nervous to do so, but there was nothing, nothing at all.

Until he tapped and magnified to the maximum … and then part of him wished he hadn't.

There was _something._

It was small, really small, he had to lean closer to the book just to see it. Right at the centre of the Lands of Always Winter, in the middle of what looked like a splodge of blood was something … _flickering_.

It was blue he could see that, and in an odd shape, circular but with some bits sticking out, diamond shaped? No, not quite that. It was flickering, but it still looked firm. What was it? A circle? No. A square? No. It almost looked like …

_A heart._

He closed the book then, with a snap that made one of the servants jump, he stood to his feet quickly, scooped up the book and left behind half his breakfast then, hurrying outside. He needed air, he needed air now.

He didn't even know what it meant, why there was a heart at the centre of the Lands of Always Winter, but he felt terrified. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such fear, perhaps not even when he had awoken, after death at the hands of his brothers. He wasn't even sure why he felt so scared, perhaps it was instinctual, but he felt a deep fear in his gut as he walked out into the snow.

He was thankful the book was quiet for the moment, as he stomped out into the courtyard. It was getting busier now, more people around, the day bustling on, people were smiling, laughing, working, unaware of what was out there, unaware of what he knew.

He wished he didn't know what was coming, what would come, what could kill them all.

He had known of the Others of course, of the threat they posed, of how much work he would have to do to change the timeline to have any hope of beating them (and even then it might not be enough), but now? With seeing that flickering heart? He felt terrified, but worse, he felt hopeless.

He didn't even know what it was, what it meant, and yet for some reason he knew, deep down, _way_ down, that it was perhaps something of legends, and perhaps something that would be near impossible to defeat.

A flickering heart … blue, like the colour of their eyes, like the gleam on their swords, like the colour of the ice around them. Blue, like the air, like winter, cold, consuming, coming for them all.

They weren't his thoughts, but they were there, in his head, speaking to him, they didn't belong to him, but they were with him.

_Cold, consuming, coming for them all…_

And then of course the book glowed.

**Quest Alert!**

**The Lands of Always Winter.**

**Explore the Lands of Always Winter.**

**Reward: Unlock the Lands of Always Winter on the Map, gain the bonus 'Complete Resistance to Cold', +5 END, +5 INT, +5 MAG, Trigger the Quest 'Winters Heart'.**

**Failure: The Lands of Always Winter and its secrets remain a mystery to you resulting in deadly consequences. -10 LUC, -10 MAG.**

**This is an active quest; active quests are ongoing and do not have to be selected, thus they are hard to fail. Failure will only be determined if the quest becomes impossible to achieve.**

**For this quest and some others there is a time limit even though they are active! However, this quest has a long time limit and so the countdown will not show until closer to the time. But do not be fooled, long can be anywhere from 1 year to 10 or more!**

He felt his stomach sink again, the terror that had been in the pit of his belly, and the fear in his heart magnified. He knew what that quest meant, and suddenly, somehow, he knew what the heart was, he knew what it meant, and he knew what he must do.

He wasn't sure how he knew, but he just did, as he looked down at the book, at the word, he knew. That heart was central to the Others power, and to take them down, he'd have to take that down.

It seemed near impossible.

A shout across the courtyard snapped him back to reality, and he realised he'd been stood in the snow for 10 minutes, not moving, just stood in the cold. Thankfully, he couldn't feel it, both because of his resistance, and the overwhelming anxiety he now felt that had lost him all focus outside what he had seen on the map. Still, he heard the shout from one of the scouts, and quickly moved into the cover under one of the walls.

"The King has been spotted on the road, he is a day and a half's ride away!"

Fuck, the King was coming, he knew he had so much to do, so many to protect, and yet he found himself looking back down at the book again, at the flickering heart at the centre of the Lands of Always Winter, at what he knew would be his destiny. And then, the King was the farthest thing from his mind.

' _When dead men come for us in the night do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo thoughts?
> 
> slightly shorter chapter again BUTTT we packed a lot in! woop, I've been waiting to incorporate the Lands of Always Winter and wanted to do it naturally. what d'you think? are you as terrified of it as I am?
> 
> on chapter length some will be longer/some shorter - I think the Kings chapter will be A LOT longer, but chapters like this one (revealing vital stuff before a big event) will be on the shorter side. do tell me - what do you guys prefer in terms of chapter length?
> 
> I will update asap, again no hate, this story is hella hard to write, but I love every second of it! (okay no, I DESPISE the moments I find an inconsistency and spend an hour combing through my masterlist of stats/quests/events trying to find it, but other than that I love it all).
> 
> please comment me your thoughts, subscribe for updates!
> 
> speak soon


	11. Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo this chapter COMPLETELY ran away with me. I almost split it in two but honestly the next chapter is proving to be of a similar size and so alas I guess that is just the size.
> 
> do enjoy, and let me know if you did! but again be niceeee.
> 
> songrecs: seven - taylor swift
> 
> on another note for songrecs, my spotify wrapped showed 'jon snows theme' as again in my top 100 songs, that is how much I rinse it when writing.

For a moment everyone seemed to freeze, except for the snow, constant, dripping, cold and wet onto the blanket of it already down. Everything else was still though, for maybe ten seconds, and then it was like a wheel, winding it back and back and back, then pausing … and then it went crazy.

The servants seemed to have fire chasing them as they sprung into action. By the time he had processed what he had just learned about the Lands of Always Winter, and the King's imminent arrival (which had bought so many problems last time), there was someone shovelling snow next to him, the courtyard was bustling with activity, cleaning, storing, rushing inside with ingredients, and Winterfell seemed to have gone into a real speed up.

He knew he needed to move as well, back to his room perhaps, figure out what had happened with the King last time and what he needed to prevent, perhaps read up on the rebellion to complete that quest before the King arrived, look back over his most recent quests, perhaps his stats too.

He had a lot to do, he needed to move, and yet as the snow continued to come down in a flurry, as the courtyard bustled around him, for several more moments he remained still.

He couldn't get the heart out of his mind, it flickering, beating, _waiting_. That was it, the source of the Others' power, he knew where it was now, and he knew it looked dangerous.

The bold part of him, the slightly reckless part wanted to make for the Wall, cross into the Haunted Forest, further and further and slay the Heart before the Others' could start their march, he had an inch in his hands to find Longclaw, ride North and take care of the problem now.

But alas even he knew that wasn't possible.

Even if he could make it past the Watch, then past the Wildlings, then past any Wights or Others' already on the march, if he somehow survived all of that, in a teenager's body, with less skill, strength and endurance, if he somehow did, he knew he wouldn't survive a second in the Lands of Always Winter.

He remembered whispers among the wildlings, _'any who go there never return'_ , _'swallowed by snow in those Lands'_ , _'frostbite is the kindest death there is there'_.

No, as much as he wanted to, he knew he would need more planning, more preparation, and a lot more skill, stats, and abilities to be able to take on that quest.

For now, he had more immediate problems, immediate things to achieve. For the moment the Others' would have to wait, right now he had to focus on the Starks.

And the King, and with that he managed to move, heading back to his rooms, plans changed yet again. He did manage to stop by the library, picked up the first book he could find on Roberts Rebellion and then headed back to his rooms.

It was still early, he had time, time to look over things, get ready for the Kings arrival.

As he hurried back, he went over in his head what he needed to do:

_Complete the Kings quest._

_List the events that happened during the Kings stay._

_Look over perks, stats, and quests._

_Work out a plan for the immediate future._

Only four things, four things on his list, and yet it felt like forty. So much to do, so much to prepare.

And yet, he knew it was necessary. Again, he thought of the heart, and how much he needed to do to get to the point where he would enter those Lands and slay it. So much to do, and yet it would all be worth it, worth it to extinguish that pulsing reminder of the Others', of death.

' _Death is the enemy. The first enemy and the last … the enemy always wins, but we still need to fight him'_

With a grim determination he headed back to his rooms, much to do.

* * *

As soon as he sat down at his desk, he closed the door, locked it, and turned to Ghost.

"Make sure no one comes in" He spoke, it felt weird speaking to his direwolf as though he were human, but he knew Ghost was not some mindless animal, he was more than that, and as he blinked those bright red eyes Jon knew they wouldn't be disturbed.

Pulling out his chair he placed his book down in the middle of the desk, grabbed a sheet of paper, a quill and inkpot and then opened the guide that had become his constant companion since he had returned.

He opened to the quest page:

Quests:

**Quest Alert!**

**The North.**

**Study the Map of the North.**

**Reward: 100XP, +10 The North (Map).**

**Failure: -20 The North (Map).**

**Quest Alert!**

**The King.**

**Research King Roberts rebellion before he arrives.**

**Reward: +100XP, +5 Relationship with King Robert, +5 History.**

**Failure: -5 relationship with King Robert.**

He knew the North quest would need to wait, but he would need to complete the Kings quest in the next half a day or so, which was achievable, but he didn't see why the book was marking it as a priority by asking him to do it now.

With a small sigh he tried to ignore hid doubts, surely if the book was suggesting it, it had to be for a reason, it hadn't failed him so far.

But then he thought back to the perk the book itself had awarded him:

**Own Man (Perk!)**

**You know how important it is to make your own decisions and not rely on others. This determination to decide your own fate is brave, and yet may sometimes lead you to trouble!**

**+1 PER, +5 Bravery.**

Surely this suggested that though yes, he needed to follow the book, he also needed to make his own decisions, and so though he did intend to complete the King quest before the King arrived, he knew he couldn't prioritise it right now.

He looked back at the quests page then, and saw another he'd let slip his mind:

**Current Quests!**

**Where to Go?**

**Prepare for your Tour by researching Old Valyria.**

**Rewards: +5 to High Valyrian Reading, 50XP.**

**Failure: -5 to High Valyrian Talking, -100XP**

Again, not a priority, not now with the King a day and a half rides away, but one to remember, perhaps when he had got through the Kings visit.

The last quest before active quests was one he knew he'd unlock soon, but one he couldn't actively work towards, he noticed then that something had been added to it, perhaps to go with his line of thinking:

**Quest Alert! (PASSIVE)**

**New Quest: Understanding the Rise.**

**Reach Level 5 to unlock player's levels.**

**Reward: You can see any players level (unless they are hidden for a specific reason), +50 XP.**

**Failure: Players levels will remain hidden to you**

**PASSIVE.** He imagined that was because he would only complete this quest as he levelled up and so other than completing other quests, he couldn't work towards it. With a nod to himself he moved on.

He looked back down then, and he could see he had moved on to active quest, and the rewards were much better, but the quests seemed much harder, some nigh on impossible! He wondered whether the book would offer him quests he couldn't complete. He didn't think so, but as he looked over the list he wasn't so sure.

**Claiming your right (ACTIVE)**

**Claim your ancestors throne, the Iron Throne for yourself.**

**Reward: +5000XP, +5 CHA, +5 INT, +5 LUC, Special Status fully unlocked, the crown of Aegon Targaryen will be yours.**

**Failure: -10 LUC, You will be branded a bastard forever and your claim on the Throne will be lost.**

Well, that was one he couldn't even consider now, except for the small hidden ambitious part of him that grew excited at the idea, no longer a bastard, no longer shunned and sneered at, but something more…

Still, that was the boy in him talking, salivating over the idea, he had to think like a man, and focus, focus on his priorities. And so, he moved on.

**Obtain a Valyrian Steel sword (ACTIVE)**

**The possible sword's you may obtain are as follows:**

**Longclaw – Quest: The Nights Watch.**

**Dark Sister – Quest: Egg.**

**Blackfyre – Quest: The Merchant.**

**New! Brightroar – Lost in Valyria.**

**Reward: A Valyrian Steel sword, and +10 to Valyrian Steel skill, +10 reputation with all people (excluding pacifists), +1000 XP.**

**Failure: -20 to Valyrian Steel skill, -1 AGI, -1 LUC.**

This was probably one of the highest priority active quests for him. He missed having Longclaw at his side, and out of all of his combat skills his Valyrian skill was the highest, and he fought better with a valyrian sword. He knew for the battles and wars to come he'd feel a lot better and surer with something like Longclaw or perhaps Blackfyre at his side.

Out of the four he wasn't sure which he wanted more. He felt so disconnected from his Targaryen heritage and Brightroar held little value to him, he still felt that connection to Longclaw but he knew without joining the Watch it was the one he was least likely to get.

Something to think on, but unfortunately not now. At some point he needed to make a list of the swords in Westeros he knew of, he presumed he could gain any of them, if he knew where they were. He realised he could compare to the valyrian steel spots on the map and had to resist the urge to do that immediately, not a priority.

And yet, the book began to glow and he almost laughed; perhaps he was directing the book as much as it was directing him …

**Quest Alert!**

**A Continent of Steel**

**Map out the Valyrian Steel swords of Westeros. Not all will be able to be acquired but some surprising ones will!**

**Reward: All Valyrian Steel spots will show approximate location. +10 Valyrian Steel Sword skill, +1 LUC.**

**Failure: Valyrian Steel spots only show nearby location, -1 LUC.**

A good quest, and again he had to resist the urge to start looking immediately – he hadn't even realised Valyrian Steel spots weren't fully accurate, but again he schooled himself, he had to prioritise with the King so close by, and so with regret he turned back to the Active quests.

He would complete the new quest perhaps when all this drama with the King was done, or he could do it when he had a spare hour here or there. Such a compromise cheered him a little as he continued to look down the page.

**Explore Old Valyria (ACTIVE)**

**Explore the ruins of Old Valyria to uncover some interesting secrets and trigger the quest 'The Doom'. Careful, this quest will be extremely difficult, and 'The Doom' even harder.**

**Rewards: Trigger the Quest 'The Doom', +1 LUC, +1 MAG, Unlocks Full Map of Valyria, 500XP.**

**Failure: Quest, 'The Doom' is locked, -2 LUC, -2 MAG, Full Map of Valyria is locked.**

This was clearly one for his tour, and something to research for his other quest. Not a priority by far but certainly one he'd look more closely at it when they began to prepare more for their tour.

**Rubies of the Trident (ACTIVE)**

**Find Rhaegars lost rubies in the waters of the Trident. They will reveal powerful secrets about your Fathers heritage and last moments!**

**Reward: Unlock your Fathers heritage page, +500XP, +1 LUC, See your Fathers last moments!**

**Failure: Your Fathers heritage page remains locked, -1 PER, -1 LUC, You do not see your Fathers last moments.**

This was the one he was unsure when he could complete. He did not intend to be in Riverrun anytime soon. He imagined the tour would leave from White Harbour and other than quests like this, he had no desire to go South. So, how was he supposed to complete this? He supposed at some time in this life he'd be in the South, but he couldn't predict when.

And then of course the book glowed.

**The Lands of Always Winter (ACTIVE, TIME LIMITED, TIME LEFT = ?)**

**Explore the Lands of Always Winter.**

**Reward: Unlock the Lands of Always Winter on the Map, gain the bonus 'Complete Resistance to Cold', +5 END, +5 INT, +5 MAG, Trigger the Quest 'Winters Heart'.**

**Failure: The Lands of Always Winter and its secrets remain a mystery to you resulting in deadly consequences. -10 LUC, -10 MAG.**

This was one he couldn't even consider at the moment, he knew at some point he'd be going Beyond the Wall, perhaps even sooner rather than later, but the Lands of Always Winter? He had a long while to go before he could even survive there, let alone explore it.

Out of all of his active quests he could only see one or two he could complete soon, and some were so far off he didn't even know when they could be even explored. He knew what he needed to prioritise, and for now none of the active quests made that list, even the Valyrian Steel quest he needed to do other things beforehand to make that possible.

For now, he had his other priorities, and so with a sigh he flipped back through the book to the other area he needed to look over.

**Stats.**

He hadn't fully looked through where he was with everything in a little while, and trying to keep a count made his headache, and so he knew he had time to flip through before moving into the events that had happened under the Kings visit last time.

Bloody hell, he felt like he was in the classroom, going through lesson after lesson with Maester Luwin. It felt similar, and the structure did help, and the content here was more interesting, and so he carried on.

He wanted go through where he was, perhaps the events that had happened the last time the King had come should take priority, but he had made up his mind and Jon could be as stubborn as an old ox when he had decided something, and so, stats it was.

First, he flipped to the secondmost page, where his main stats were displayed:

**STR: 22**

He was pleased that had grown but he knew he still had a long way to go. He wondered if natural strength exercises would see him grow in strength in his stats or whether he could only do that through quests or perks. Perhaps that was something to look into.

**PER: 15**

Better but not where he wanted to be. He had always relied on his perception at the wall and he knew he would rely on it in the future and wanted … _no_ , needed to get this number up.

**END: 15**

He wondered the same as strength, if he went running around the Winterfell walls once a morning would this get better? Or he was he stuck only improving through quests and perks?

**CHA: 6**

He grimaced at that. This had never been his area and likely never would be, but even he knew that 6 was abysmal and he needed to improve it asap.

**INT: 11**

Good, but he needed to get it higher. As much as he wanted to focus on getting in fighting strength, he knew that would be useless if he didn't keep his mind sharp too.

**AGI: 15**

Perhaps as important as strength and endurance. He'd never be a brute like the mountain, and so perhaps instead of pouring his focus into strength he needed to equal it with endurance and agility.

**LUC: 8**

His entire life he had felt unlucky, and yet he couldn't summon the need to prioritise LUC. Yes, he knew it would help but he'd never had any before, he could go on without it.

**MAG: 8**

With this one he was realising it would become more relevant later on. Not something to prioritise, but also not to dismiss as he had before.

He then flipped the page and could see the long list of general stats. He saw some he hadn't noticed before and knew he needed to go through, though he knew he couldn't linger for too long. Even though he still had the better part of a day and a half he knew from experience that the time would go fast now he was counting it, he needed to be swift.

And so, instead of going line by line he decided to look through his stats in groups, perhaps that would make things go faster.

**Animal Knowledge: 25**

**Warging: 50**

**Skinchanging: 0**

He smiled to himself then. He needed to find time to Warg again. It had been the most terrifying, most exhilarating experience of his life. It had felt like he was about to step off the edge of a precipice without knowing what was to come next. It had been something he had never experienced before.

And he knew it would be essential going forward, to strengthen that connection with Ghost, to have that ability. Skinchanging … he wasn't so sure about that one but he knew better than to dismiss it. Still, out of the two Warging was both more interesting and his focus for now.

**Magical Knowledge: 20**

**Medical Knowledge: 0**

**Poison Knowledge: 10**

He'd never be an assassin but he knew he needed to have a basic understanding of poisons and medicines if he intended to venture off on his own to dangerous parts of the world.

**Lying: 20**

**Persuasion: 20**

Lying wasn't something he wasn't particularly pleased to do, but he was not Eddard Stark, he knew sometimes it was necessary, hell, essential. The low score both made him feel proud and annoyed, he didn't want to be a good liar and he'd never be akin to the spymasters of the world, but he needed to get better. The same with persuasion.

**Bravery: 60**

Now that was something to feel proud of.

**Stealth: 15**

Again he was no assassin in the shadows, but stealth was important in many aspects, including combat. Another thing to work on.

**Smithing: 5**

He felt he'd never be a blacksmith, but as with poisons, a rudimentary knowledge of this area wouldn't hurt.

**Strategy: 40**

He was pleased to see it so high, and he knew that was one of his strengths, and something that had been his focus at the Wall, as it would be going forward.

A small sigh left his lips as he paused for a minute. In some areas he was pleased but he had so much work to do, in so many important areas. Was he trying to do too much? Did he have to acknowledge that though stuff like smithing and poison knowledge would be useful they would have to be almost like passive quests; stuff he would pick up along the way but simply didn't have time to focus on?

It would have to be. He couldn't juggle everything, he needed to focus on the more important things to develop; his combat skills, strategy, his quests, advancing his knowledge of warging and becoming a better liar. Even that felt like a lot.

He turned back to the book then, he wanted to get through this before lunch, and he still had much to do after that. Ugh, it felt like he could use another two weeks before the King came.

Time was not his friend.

**The North (Map): 50**

**The South (Map): 20**

**Beyond the Wall (Map): 40**

**The Iron Islands (Map): 25**

**The Free Cities (Map): 20**

**Valyria (Map): 10**

**Slaver's Bay (Map): 0**

**Eastern Essos (Map): 0**

**Summer Isles (Map): 0**

**Sothoryos (Map): 0**

**Ulthos (Map): 0**

For the moment the maps would have to wait, but he frowned; it felt like he was dismissing a lot of important things.

He felt slightly mollified that he would need to study the maps for his valyrian steel quest, but he couldn't focus on the foreign maps until his tour. It felt like there would be a time for everything, just not immediately, and maps had to slip to the back of his list. Except perhaps those of the continent.

**Common Tongue, Reading: 70**

**Common Tongue, Writing: 65**

**Common Tongue, Talking: 80**

**High Valyrian, Reading: 0**

**High Valyrian, Writing: 0**

**High Valyrian, Talking: 5**

He supposed before the tour he'd need to brush up on his Valyrian, just to be able to communicate. His Common Tongue was fine, and would get better simply with time.

As he flipped the page he smiled a little and felt a hint of tension leave his shoulders, at least his next scores were more promising.

**Combat, Sword: 60**

He was good with a sword, he knew that, maybe better than most, but he'd need to keep improving. The sword would always be the favoured weapon in his hand.

**Combat, Dagger: 50**

Assassin or no, a dagger would always be strapped to his hip, maybe some up close training would be of use to him.

**Combat, Greatsword: 20**

He thought of Ice then … a beautiful sword but not the one he was meant to wield, hell it hadn't even shown in his list of possible swords in his quest.

**Combat, Bastardsword: 60**

As he'd thought of Ice before he then thought of Longclaw, how he wished to be reunited with it.

**Combat, Valyrian Steel Sword, 70**

His best combat score, hence his priorities.

**Combat, Bow and Arrow: 45**

He'd never be a master with a bow and arrow but dragging the score up a little could be useful.

**Combat, Dragonglass Weapons: 10**

He knew this was important, but if he acquired Valyrian Steel (which he was sure he would), then less so.

**Combat, Mace: 10**

As he'd considered before, he'd never be a brute and thus the mace never his primary weapon.

**Combat, Hand to Hand: 50**

This was an area he'd like to focus on in training sessions with Robb and Master Rodrick, sometimes one found oneself without a weapon, he couldn't rely too much on his tools.

**Combat, Shield: 35**

He hated carrying a shield, his fighting style, fast and adept did not fit that of carrying one.

**Combat, Armour: 50**

He wondered then about picking up some armour in Bravos, he felt the cold so rarely the heavy plate of the North felt less essential, though perhaps he could pick up a few sets for different scenarios.

**Combat, Horse Riding: 65**

With Endurance he was sure his riding would get better, and he felt pleased with the already high score.

**Combat, Jousting: 10**

He wrinkled his nose. Jousting was usually reserved to tourney bouts which he had no desire to enter nor participate in.

Well, that was that. He felt pleased with his high combat scores, his bravery and warging but saw many areas for improvement. It was all about prioritising and knowing what was more important. With a small sigh he closed the book, he had his perks to go through, which he would, but that could wait.

It was time to do something he'd put off both because it hurt him to think of, but also because he knew off of it, he'd need to plan to stop these things, which made his headache. How could he stop some of these?

He picked up his quill but then as he did he saw his desk draw slightly ajar and reached inside. Of course! He'd forgotten he had already scrawled down some of the important upcoming events, it was certainly a place to start.

Bran's fall.

King comes to Winterfell.

Stop Joffrey/Sansa.

Stop Lord Stark becoming Hand.

Meet Uncle Benjen, stop him going Beyond the Wall.

He felt a little better he'd already prevented the fourth, and the second could not be prevented, if anything it was the cause of the troubles.

And so, the others he looked at closer.

Bran's fall.

That he knew would just be about being in the right place in the right time, and he looked at his closed book then, would it give him one of the time sensitive quests? It didn't glow, and he let out a small sigh. He'd have to hope it would, or he would just have to watch Bran like a hawk.

If he remembered correctly Bran had fallen on the day after the Kings arrival, and so if there was no quest to focus his time he'd have to stick by Bran, and hope it didn't just put the fall off.

Would it not happen if he stopped the original event? Or would he just be delaying it?

That question only spawned more questions, but he knew he could only hope that stopping it the first time did stop it, and if not … what else could he do?

Stop Joffrey/Sansa.

He had hoped the rumour he'd slipped Sansa to get her to talk to Lord Stark about staying would have been enough. He doubted it was, and he just guessed he'd have to try and keep them apart when the boy Prince arrived.

He laughed a little then … not a Prince, and yet he was. How strange the world was.

' _Why aren't you down in the yard?'_

' _Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes'_

Meet Uncle Benjen, stop him going Beyond the Wall.

Probably the most difficult, he could manipulate Sansa and Bran (he hated that word but again, he had long learned that sometimes such tactics were necessary), but Uncle Benjen was a grown adult who would do as he liked. What could he do to stop him making that ranging Beyond the Wall?

He dropped his head into his hands then, this felt impossible. So many events he needed to prevent relied on his skills of persuasion, which as the book so kindly reminded him were not up to scratch.

He heard a tapping then and turned to look at Ghost who was scratching his feet against the floor. Only a second later Jon heard footsteps and he quickly tucked his book into his tunic and placed the piece of paper into his desk draw.

His door opened then, revealing Robb who he smiled at, though he knew it was a little strained. It felt like the weight of the world were on his shoulders.

It would be easier if he had someone to share it with, and as he looked at Robb, he wished he could, he wished he could show him the book, tell him everything, and have just some help. He desperately needed it.

But as he felt the book against his chest, he knew it just wasn't possible. Even if he were believed (which he knew was beyond unlikely), he wouldn't even know where to start to ask for help.

It was odd, but some part of him knew he was bound to this fate alone. He was the one who'd died, risen again, returned to this time, he knew instinctually that he was alone.

' _A Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing'_

He remembered Maester Aemon saying that and he almost laughed. Now he was a Targaryen, alone in the world, alone in his thoughts and his knowledge.

He didn't think he'd ever felt so lonely. Not at Winterfell, not even at the Wall.

He was alone.

"Are you alright brother?" Robb asked and Jon felt that twinge at his heart – alone. He nodded though, and again smiled, strained as it was, there was no point burdening Robb with his sadness, not when he couldn't even explain the root of it.

"Yes, just tired" He knew Robb didn't believe him, suspected something, but he was also pleased Robb was noble enough to back off. Ugh, he really needed to become a better liar. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah" Robb nodded, clearly not pushing it which Jon was thankful for, "Father asked me to come get you, he's gathered the family, just the family in the main Hall for lunch"

Jon glanced outside then, it was so hard to tell the time by the Winterfell days, with the endless now and the lack of sun. How was it lunchtime already? Time really was running away from him.

Part of him wanted to refuse, make an excuse, but he knew he couldn't, he also knew this meeting might be important, for surely it had to do with the Kings visit. And so, with a nod he stood to his feet, checked for his book, but for once left his sword behind, he didn't need to be any more suspicious, and besides, he had a dagger at his waist.

"Come" He motioned to Ghost who was on his feet and following after his Master, also running to his brother, Grey Wind.

"What do you think the meeting is about?" He asked Robb, and the heir to Winterfell shrugged.

"Probably the Kings visit" Robb said, "Did you express to Father your worries about him going South like we agreed?"

"Aye" Jon said and he managed a real smile then, hopefully Lord Stark would be telling his children his intention _not_ to go South now, that alone, to hear it for sure would be worth dragging himself away from his planning.

* * *

Soon enough they were at the Hall, and Robb clapped him on the shoulder as they wandered to their seats. It was empty bar those sat at the main table.

Robb took his place on his Fathers right side, Lady Stark on Lord Starks right, with Rickon next to her. Opposite Robb sat Bran, then Arya, then Sansa, then Theon, leaving the seat on the end, between Robb and Bran spare for him.

It was quiet at first, not like a normal lunch, but then they had all been summoned, it wasn't normal. And so, silence persisted as servants came in, served up food and then disappeared. It was quiet, no other Lords or guests or the people of Winterfell, no servants bustling in and out.

It had a distinctly formal feel, and so the silence continued, until …

"Ned" Lady Stark spoke gently and then his F… Uncle (he felt he would always struggle with that) nodded to his wife and spoke.

Jon felt tense for the moment before Lord Stark spoke – had he changed his mind? Had his plan failed?

"As some of you may know" He glanced at Jon then, and once Jon might have blushed and dropped his gaze, he still did the latter but not the former. He was not ashamed to have orchestrated the plan to get his Uncle to stay.

Not when he was the only one who knew what would happen if he hadn't.

"King Robert rides for Winterfell. He intends to ask me to be Hand of the King" He coughed then, and took a sip of the water in front of him. Jon looked around the table at his family, they all looked tense, nervous, Sansa looked on the brink of tears, Robb uncomfortable, Bran and Rickon a little confused, Arya worried, and even Theon looked nervous.

Jon managed to keep his expression stoic, but he did feel the nerves creeping up on him, had Eddard Stark changed his mind?

"I intend to turn him down"

He was sure a collective sigh of relief was heard across the family. Even little Rickon seemed to sense the tension decrease in the room, as shoulders sagged, and relieved smiles took over each face.

"However, that is not the end of it" Eddard Stark continued and Jon's relief left him just as soon as it had come. What was this? "No doubt the King will demand other things, marriages or wards perhaps" He sighed then and shook his head, and Jon wanted to follow suit, but forced his expression to remain neutral. "We will have to be careful and see what comes"

When the book didn't glow he felt more nervous. What was to come?

He supposed he'd have to wait and see.

* * *

Jon was tired and though he felt both relieved and perhaps a little unburdened after lunch he knew his day was far from done and there remained some tension from the unknown. Whereas Robb and Theon had wandered off to do some archery practice (with Bran running after them and Arya sneaking behind), he knew he needed to head back to his room and continue what he had left unfinished earlier.

Part of him wanted to go with them (even considering Theons presence), after all he had come back from the dead, from a time where the pack had been scattered and the Stark name near dead and gone, shouldn't he be spending as much time with his family as he could? Soaking up the things the future had ripped away? Part of him wanted to and felt perhaps that should be the priority; experiencing what he had missed. But then the more logical, rational part of his brain told him quite firmly that he could spend time with his family later.

After all who else would do what he needed to? If he decided spending time with his family was more important the Others wouldn't simply go away, the problems and issues that eventually faced the Stark family wouldn't just stop. Someone had to stop the future that Westeros and his family would face, someone had to stop the Others, to stop the Starks being so mauled by the wars of Westeros.

Hell he had already made the difference in his Uncle not going South, in keeping the Starks together. If he had instead ignored his duties, then perhaps his Uncle would still be committed to become the Hand of the King and that would trigger the troubles the Starks had faced as it had in the past.

' _Love is the death of duty'_

' _Duty is the death of love'_

Could he not honour his duty and still be with his family? In honouring his duty wasn't he protecting his family? Even if it meant not spending as much time with them? He had caught Arya and Bran looking his way and Robbs concerned expression as he turned away and walked to his room but he knew he had to focus. He could spend time laughing, playing and such later. There would be no playing to be had did he not protect them in the first place. Besides in the past he had been just as broody, he doubted they'd find it odd.

Still, he would try to spend some more time with his siblings, when he managed to get what needed to be done before and during the Kings visit.

As he made his way back to his room the snow continued to fall, Ghost at his heels, a bit of a blur amongst the white frost. He remembered the last time the King had come the weather had been nicer, the ground brown and dry, but now the summer snows persisted. Small changes, he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

There was a lot he wasn't sure about anymore.

Once back in his room he walked to the small fireplace. He didn't feel much cold but he wanted to dry his cloak and so he started up the flames, and for a moment looked into them, the orange haze, the shifting of the red flames, the flicker of the embers. It was the strangest sensation as he looked at them, like he had been drawn in, pulled towards them, it wasn't something he'd ever felt before, and yet it felt almost all consuming…

' _The Ink is Dry'_

Was he imagining it? A voice, almost caressing his mind? Like a gentle touch, a hint, a whisper.

' _The Ink is Dry'_

Again, there it was! The ever so gentle and soft whisper over his mind, one he was sure he had heard before, perhaps many times, but just couldn't quite place.

He felt for the book then, quickly pulling it from his tunic, the flames still dancing, red, orange, yellow, fierce and gentle all at once. The flames continued to move as he saw the book glow, the words materialising amongst the orange and the hint of gold in the flames of his fireplace.

**PERK!**

**Locked!**

**This Perk is locked. This could be for a variety of reasons. Some perks are locked because you are not high level enough to unlock them, because a perk that is needed before a higher level perk is not unlocked or because they are religious, bonus based or heritage perks you do not have access too. This may unlock down the road or never! (Though never say never!)**

Well, that was odd, and certainly something he'd never seen before. He'd seen locked sections of the book before but never been alerted to something only to find it locked, and not unlockable by a quest or action.

Again he glanced at the flames, he wondered if he'd triggered the alert by looking into the flames, as he turned back to them they seemed less mysterious, the gold flickering had gone and now it just looked like a roaring fire, heating up his room, even though he didn't feel much of a difference.

The words had also disappeared, the soft whisper gone now, though still present in his mind…

' _The Ink is Dry'_

What did that mean?

He turned back to his desk then, Ghost trotting forward to sit himself in front of the flames, relaxing in the glow of the heat. Jon wished he could relax, even though it was just pass lunch he felt ready to climb into bed and take a nap. For a moment he even looked longingly at his bed, now warm and under a glow of the fire before with a resigned sort of sigh he sat down at his desk, opened his book, and pulled out the paper from his draw again before opening the book he'd grabbed earlier.

Too much to do, no time for rest … at least, not yet.

* * *

Twenty minutes later and he could feel his eyes drooping, it was already starting to darken outside, and the comfort of his room alongside the decidedly boring topic of the book he was reading was making him sleepy.

Whoever had written this history of Roberts Rebellion had clearly done so through a biased eye as he was certain Robert hadn't been _'over seven feet tall, swinging a hammer that was taller even that that'_ , but other than that it seemed to be a very simple, if factual account of what had happened.

Lyanna Stark kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen (but of course now he knew that not to be true, perhaps the world one day would too).

Brandon and Rickard go to Kings Landing to demand answers, neither make it home thanks to the Mad King (fire seemed like a grisly death, he was thankful that apparently wasn't possible for him).

His Uncle, Jon Arryn and Robert declare a rebellion, and march South with the aid of House Tully and growing support across Westeros.

Many battles, with Robert and the rebels winning all but one, and soon success.

And then the Trident, Rhaegar Targaryen falls, Robert is victorious. He wonders if Rhaegar had, had plans for his Mother, to keep her safe, but had failed in his own failure on the battlefield.

Following the Trident, the Lannisters sack Kings Landing, Jaime Lannister becomes a Kingslayer and Robert ascends to the Throne.

Of course, he had known all of this before, had heard the story a dozen or more times, and so what was the book trying to achieve? What more did he know about the King?

He had been a fierce fighter yes, driven by love and apparently charismatic and strong enough to win Lords to his side.

Was the book telling him to learn from this example? Fighting prowess and good tactics weren't enough? That he would need to win Lords to his side in the War of the Dawn through other means? Or was it trying to display who Robert had been to prepare him for the man Robert had become?

But of course, Jon knew the man Robert had become. Back in his old life gone had been the fierce warrior that had won battle after battle, gone had been the King the continent had rallied behind, and in place had been an angry, sad, bitter, out of shape man who had growled, groped, and drank.

Was this book trying to simply show him how far the King had fallen?

He still wasn't sure what the point had been in all of this as the book glowed.

**Quest Completed!**

**The King.**

**Research King Roberts rebellion before he arrives.**

**Reward: +100XP, +5 Relationship with King Robert, +5 History.**

**Current XP: Level 3: 1300/2000, +5 Relationship with King Robert = 10. +5 History = 30.**

Not bad for an hour reading but he couldn't help but feel there was a reason he had been given this quest. Perhaps it would be clearer when the King arrived.

With a nod to himself he knew he needed to move on, confused as he was, and turned back to the book then, pushing aside the history book for his guide, he had looked through almost everything earlier but had skipped the Perks, but he needed to go through them.

**Insights into The Past (Perk!)**

**Insights into the past adds +1 INT, and allows you to study your past run-through to understand things about your life. Be wary though, the man who spends too much time in the past may fall into it completely.**

Well he was more familiar with this one now. He found it to be bittersweet. Seeing Ygritte again it had been … amazing. To be able to see those memories, memories he was sure would slip from him as time went on, it had been wonderful.

However, he also recognised how he could easily get caught up in his past life if he spent too much time in those memories.

A powerful attribute to be sure, but a dangerous one.

He quickly looked through his next three perks, as they had been basic ones he had unlocked when he had first opened the book … god that already seemed so long ago.

**Walk with Direwolfs (First Men perk)**

**+5 relationship with ALL direwolf's, Higher ability of warging with direwolf's, +10 to 'animal knowledge' and +20 to warging.**

**The Faces (Old Gods perk)**

**+1 INT, Ability to warg into Weirwood trees to understand the past (though this is a GREAT drain on health), -5 relationship with followers of other religions.**

**Home Is The Heart (Winterfell perk)**

**Unlock the map of the North, including quest icons, valyrian steel spots and 'danger' areas.**

Useful for sure, though he hadn't fully explored the latter two, he was sure Walk with Direwolfs had helped him Warg with Ghost which he was thankful for. The other two would need to be further explored.

Though he did feel a little nervous about the Faces for some reason he had a feeling it would become very important.

**Animal Companion (Perk!)**

**You can now see the relationship you have with an animal companion, you can also see your ability to warg with them – the higher the relationship, and the higher your warging ability, the more likely you will be able to warg into said animal.**

A second animal-based perk, which he didn't regret. Warging with Ghost had been indescribable, and he knew it would be a skill he'd need to hone.

**Valyrian Steel Eye (Perk!)**

**You can spot Valyrian Steel spots on the map (maps you have unlocked). Now remember, the spots on the map indicate the presence of Valyrian steel in the area, not the exact location, that is down to you.**

Well, he had already decided what to do with his plan for Valyrian Steel, and this perk would be crucial to finding his favoured weapon.

**Family First (Perk!)**

**The man who puts family first ensures their survival. +5 relationship with all other Stark's, +5 relationship with all other Targaryen's.**

Just as he had thought making his way to his room, sacrificing his time with his family was putting them first, to protect them, as he always would.

**What Needs to Be Done (Perk!)**

**You have shown you are willing to do what needs to be done, sometimes at a cost to your personal honour. You have added +5 to Bravery and +10 to Lying.**

He felt only a hint of shame to see that Perk. He was truly not his Uncle, but he knew to win, to forge the road ahead, he couldn't be bound by those morals.

He would try to honour them best as he could, but he could not follow them as he once blindly would have.

**Warg (Perk!)**

**You have shown you are a Warg! This allows you to be one with animal companions, currently you have 1 companion, your direwolf Ghost. You may have up to 3 (in certain circumstances more can be gained, but only through special quests), and some companions will be more difficult than others! The more you warg the better you will get but it will be hard at first! +1 Perception, +1 Agility. Warging allows the unlocking of the Perk Skinchanging, though this requires additional circumstances that are locked to you at the moment.**

Perhaps his favourite perk, though he still wasn't sure about Skinchanging.

**Own Man (Perk!)**

**You know how important it is to make your own decisions and not rely on others. This determination to decide your own fate is brave, and yet may sometimes lead you to trouble! +1 PER, +5 Bravery.**

Was that the books way of telling him not to rely on it so much? But he could sense a hint of a warning there. Damn he hated when stuff was so cryptic.

**Two Steps Ahead (Perk!)**

**You understand that sometimes what is to come is more important than what is happening in the present. The future is where decisions lie. +1 PER, +10 Strategy. Just remember thinking too far ahead may have you missing the events passing you by right now!**

Another perk with a warning veiled in it.

With that he closed the book, they had been useful to go through, to remind himself of what he had on his side. Quickly he grabbed another piece of paper and scrawled down the perks, all in a row, just their names. He felt it would be good to be able to quickly look at them without needing to open the book.

He also quickly added his base stats:

**STR: 22**

**PER: 15**

**END: 15**

**CHA: 6**

**INT: 11**

**AGI: 15**

**LUC: 8**

**MAG: 8**

With that he took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He glanced outside and could see the snow had grown heavier. He stood to his feet and made his way to the window, looking out into the front of the courtyard.

He hoped the snow would slow the King down, but he knew it was more likely that whilst it wasn't a full storm it would encourage them to make haste.

Never enough time.

With that thought he saw the book glowing on his desk and was half tempted to ignore it. He didn't have time for any more quests.

Never enough time.

And yet, of course he read it all the same.

He was jolted from his thoughts as he heard the same tapping he'd heard earlier, and turned to see Ghost scratching at the floor again. He leaned over then to scratch Ghost behind the ears, he was thankful to have him by his side.

Then as predicted the door opened, but this time instead of Robb stood first Arya then Bran and he found himself smiling, genuinely now, though he still felt tired and perhaps it was a tad strained, seeing his two younger siblings, a little breathless, at his door, did cheer him.

"Robb sent us" Arya said, and walked inside, Nymeria at her heels, as was Summer, the two direwolfs soon bounding over to Ghost.

"Aye?" Jon asked, as Bran hurried inside smiling.

"He said you have to come to dinner, sit down and relax" Bran said with a nod, as though he didn't quite know what was going on but would certainly do as Robb asked.

"And if I say no?" He was teasing, but Arya stood to her feet and stomped her foot to which he had to stop himself from laughing, she looked incredibly serious whereas Bran was looking to his sister a hint unsure.

"Then we'll make you" She pronounced and he did laugh a little then, at which Arya huffed as Bran laughed too.

"And did Robb say that?" He asked raising his eyebrow, it was then Arya's turn to look shifty, and he decided then to stop teasing and instead nodded his head.

"Come on then" He smiled as his two siblings cheered. He reached for his cloak, tucked the book into his tunic, and made his way to the door, Arya soon at one side, Bran at the other, the two now explaining at an incredible speed their archery lesson earlier.

"Well Arya wasn't even supposed to be there!"

"Brans just a sore loser"

"Am not!"

"Are too"

They continued to bicker and tease and brag as he ushered them out of his room, the direwolfs following.

He had much to do yes, but as Arya tugged at his hand and Bran his other hand, he knew he could hardly refuse them. He could take a small break, and then back to it. Always back to it.

Still, as he stepped into the hall and he saw Robb grinning to see him joining them, and his Uncle smiling at him before he turned to Jory who was sat with them tonight, he knew a break had been both necessary for him and perhaps for his journey.

He didn't want to get burned out, and he had to remind himself what he was labouring for. For his family, to protect them, always.

* * *

Two hours later and he had shaken off Arya and Bran as they had been hurried to bed by the Septa and Maester Luwin, he and Robb had chatted about lessons and sparring for half an hour and now he was heading back to his room, tired and yet not quite ready to turn in for the night.

He wanted to, the dark days made him more tired and he had awoken early, and he knew he'd need to be up equally early tomorrow for the King, but he had an odd kind of energy that promised sleep would not come, not just yet.

The family dinner had been nice, lots of chatting, anticipation and a jovial atmosphere now they knew that his Uncle was not to go South. He was glad he had gone, but now, more to do.

And so, as he locked his door behind him and stoked the burning embers of the fire (to which Ghost immediately trotted over and sat himself down), he didn't turn to his bed but instead turned back to his desk.

He was half tempted to start researching Old Valyria, but instead he opened his book, and looked through – had he gone through everything earlier? He turned through the pages:

Stats

Perks

Quests

Bonuses

Ahh, so he had missed one. Well that seemed as good a task as any before turning in for the night. It meant he'd be organised and up to speed before the King came, and hell, he needed to be as focused as possible for the visit.

**Stark Bonuses: Resistance to cold, Ability to Warg, Special Weapons (Greatsword, Mace, Dragonglass – all receive +10 and possibility of quests), +1 STR.**

Probably his favourite bonus, maybe because it was the most useful (the resistance to cold was already something he was so used to he couldn't imagine being without it, and wargining well, that was maybe the best bonus of all), or because it spoke to his Stark heritage, the heritage he had always been proud of.

**Targaryen Bonuses: Resistance to fire, Ability to tame/hatch dragons, Valyrian Steel Perk (you can spot Valyrian steel with ease/you have a slightly higher chance of finding it, +10 to this skill), +2 MAG.**

He still struggled to see himself as a Targaryen.

_Snow, Stark, Targaryen._

Only one sounded completely foreign.

Still, he could see the use in being resistant to fire, and he was very thankful for the Valyrian Steel Perk.

**Royalty Bonus: +1 CHA, as your royalty is unknown you will not receive further bonuses from this area until it is revealed…**

He knew this bonus would be improved once or rather if his status as royalty was revealed.

Royalty him … he could barely believe it himself.

 **Product of Love Bonus:** +1 LUC, you are a product of two people in love, thus you get a small bonus.

Perhaps the weakest bonus but not in the way it made him feel. To know his Father … well his biological Father (he may call Eddard Stark Uncle in his mind now but part of him would always consider him his Father), hadn't been the murdering rapist so many had painted him as, to know his Mother had been happy with him, had gone willing, it made him feel warmer inside. Perhaps the bonus was the weakest in what it gave him in stats, but it certainly was the best in making him feel better.

**First Men Bonuses:** **Higher respect from foreigners, Complete resistance to cold (this is void in the Lands of Always Winter), +1 END.**

The complete resistance to cold aided him again, but he grimaced at the part about it being void in the Lands of Always Winter, especially now he knew at some point he'd be heading that way.

**Valyrian bonuses: General wariness from foreigners, Complete resistance to fire, Dragon taming/hatching MUCH easier, Incest is acceptable, -1 LUC.**

Again, he struggled to see the other side of his heritage, but the complete resistance to fire had already proved useful, and no doubt would continue too.

**Essos bonuses (distant heritage): +1 relationship with citizens of Essos, +1 MAG.**

Did everyone have distant Essosi heritage? It wouldn't surprise him, and he'd happily take a small bonus where he could get it.

 **Bastard Status Bonus** : **Your status as a bastard (at least in the eyes of men), means you have a lower level of respect amongst ALL nobles (except for the Dornish), but a higher level of respect among commoners/peasants. This status also means your specific relationships will be greatly affected; for example if someone despises bastards your relationship with them will be MUCH lower, but if someone tolerates bastards your relationship with them will be barely affected. This status also adds -2 CHA, but +1 PER due to your ability to go unnoticed.**

This one he disliked the most, perhaps because he had always despised his place as a bastard, perhaps worse now he knew he wasn't one.

He couldn't hate his Uncle … _Father_ , for hiding it from him, for he knew he'd done so from a place of fear, of trying to protect him, to keep him safe, and he had done that job. He still felt a hint of resentment though, how could he not?

Growing up under Lady Starks disdain, the stain of the bastard mark on him, never truly part of things, brooding in the corner. All for a position in life that hadn't even been true.

' _My name is Snow'_

' _Bastard'_

' _Guilty. Of that at least'_

He had never been a bastard, should never have lived with that taint, and yet he couldn't go back … he laughed then, well he could go back, but not far enough to erase that stain.

 _Bastard_.

For now it was the moniker he had to carry, but hopefully one day, it would be gone.

**The Old Gods Religion Bonus: Higher respect from The Faith of the Seven, Valyrian's and other religions, but disliked by followers of R'hllor. Complete health regeneration available at Weirwood trees, and the Children of the Forest/Greenseers are MUCH more likely to aid you.**

Well as others this bonus had already proved very useful, and yet he was wary about relying on the healing at the Weirwood, there were so few South, he couldn't rely on that, as easy as it would be to do so.

However, if he went further North, the final bit of the bonus would be more relevant. So many of the bonuses seemed very tied to where he was in the world, and perhaps more would come as he explored it.

 **North Bonus: This gives you the following bonuses (remember, bonuses change wherever you are living in the world, you will only receive these bonuses as long as you remain where you are. Similar places have similar bonuses, but foreign places will have extremely different bonuses).** **Place to store items (Jon's bedroom).** **Bed to sleep in – due to the quality of the bed, each night you sleep in it will fully restore your health (though will not cure poisoning, or heal injuries, for this you must see a Maester or as a follower of the Old Gods go to a Weirwood tree).** **Ability to look into the history of the Stark's and the First Men, and the ability to gain further attributes/skills related to; The North, the Starks, the First Men.** **Closer relationships with the Starks/Northern families, but more distant relationships with Southerners.**

Just as before, he wondered when he moved, for the tour, for quests, to explore, what would the other bases look like? Better or worse?

He supposed he'd find out.

**Heir Status Bonus: As the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, you will receive bonuses equal to the level of 'notoriety' i.e. you will get more bonuses for the more people who know your status. Because currently your status is hidden, you receive smaller bonuses. Bonuses: +1 CHA, +1 LUC, +20 respect with those who know your status. Higher respect from all nobles and commoners. Much lower relationship with other claimants to the Iron Throne.**

Seeing his status as an Heir, compared to his Bastard status was jarring.

' _Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle'_

_Bastard, Heir, Bastard, King._

Which was he? It was difficult to wrap his head round, and with a sigh he decided that the introspection on whether he felt more like the bastard he'd been raised as, or the Heir and King he was, could wait for another day.

Well, that was it, and he felt much better for having gone through it all. He looked down at the book again then, and it began its usual glow and he opened it to see the script writing itself as it always did.

**Organised Mind (Perk!)**

**You have gained a new attribute.**

**An organised mind is a smart mind. You keep your thoughts and plans highly organised leading to better decision making and tactical planning.**

**+10 Strategy, +10 Tactics, +1 INT, Unlock the Summary Page.**

He smiled then, so the hours willing away organising his own thoughts and what he had in the book were worth it, on top of sorting out his own thoughts. A reward in kind, and with a headache rapidly descending on his temples it was most welcome.

He was pleased for the bonuses, but also saw he'd unlocked another page. Summary? He flipped back to the start of the book, intending to leaf through to find this new page, and yet he didn't have to look far, a new page appearing at the start now.

**Jon Snow**

**Level 3, XP: 1300/2000**

**Stats:**

**STR: 22**

**PER: 15**

**END: 15**

**CHA: 6**

**INT: 12**

**AGI: 15**

**LUC: 8**

**MAG: 8**

**Status: Bastard, True Status: Royalty (Hidden). PTWP. Warg.**

**House: Stark and Targaryen.**

**Heritage: First Men, Valyrian, Distant Essosi.**

**Religion: The Old Gods.**

There it all was, but he could tell there was still space on the page, to unlock other things? Or to add to those that already existed? He didn't know.

What he did know however was it was time for sleep, he felt utterly exhausted now, ready to slumber, wake early and prepare for the Kings visit.

Never enough time.

He was quick in getting himself ready for bed, extinguishing the fire, washing himself, and changing into a tunic and light breeches. Ghost leapt onto the bed to curl up at the end, and he climbed in underneath the sheets, he suddenly felt exhausted, the energy he'd had earlier long gone.

It took him mere minutes from shutting his eyes for him to fall into a deep sleep, the blackness coming quick.

And yet, the darkness lasted only minutes, and then he dreamt (or was it something else?), of running in the snow, his muzzle soon wet with the blood of a fresh kill, droplets on the ice, and a howl to the moon.

* * *

And when he awoke, he somehow felt more tired than he had before he had gone down, and he could have easily slid into bed and slept for a day or so more. In fact, he was just planning on closing his eyes, perhaps getting just _a_ _hint_ more sleep, when two things happened at once that determined he would be getting no such luxury.

First, the book which he'd left on his desk glowed in its usual way, and in truth he was tempted to ignore it. But then, at the same time he heard a shout in the outside courtyard, loud enough even for him to here.

'The King is on the last stretch; he'll be here in less than two hours!'

Fuck, no more sleep for him then.

Never enough time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo thoughts?
> 
> now I know this chapter was VERY video game heavy, but it was the first in a while and very necessary - I stopped putting stats at the end of chapters and so I needed a chapter where not only were they present but also Jon analysing them! there will be more in this kind, I am already so hype to write the valyrian steel map quest!
> 
> also rest assured the next chapter (which as said before is proving just as long as this one) will be VERY plot heavy, to even things out.
> 
> I've had more questions/theories about the title which I freaking LOVE, but no I'm not going to tell you what it means, not for a little while...
> 
> as always if you enjoyed pls do subscribe and comment to let me know what you think
> 
> speak soon


	12. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bet you didn't expect an update this soon! aha! well I can't blame you tbf, but I hope you enjoy this update!
> 
> do let me know your thoughts, subscribe to get updates, and most importantly enjoy!
> 
> songrecs: tolerate it - taylor swift

How he felt more exhausted than when his head had hit the pillow was beyond him. His body ached, his eyes felt like all moisture had been sucked from them and he felt as though he could sleep for another week. What had happened?

He had been tired going to bed, but this felt like he'd gone riding for a week, fought in a battle and then wrestled Tormund for an hour before getting half an hour's rest. Why was he so exhausted?

As he sat up, he felt a jolt through his body, and then something almost like a flash passed over his mind, dreams from the night before, he rarely remembered them, and yet this one was as clear as day in his memory.

_Running through the snow, the white frost under feet, icicles falling from trees, the white concealing both tracks and fur._

_A fresh kill, the taste of meat on teeth, blood on the muzzle, droplets of blood on the snow._

_Brothers, sisters, grey, brown, black, on their own hunt, one snoozing in the snow, he was the smallest … for now, but quiet, and strong._

_Back into the warmth, a crackling fire, the soft blankets. Rest._

A gasp left his lips as he emerged from the memory … Ghost?

He turned before the book even began to glow, and yet then it did, just as he had suspected, the writing appearing before him, and he quickly pulled himself from bed, a groan leaving his lips as he grabbed the book, and sat himself down on the edge of the bed, his eyes heavy but taking in the new information.

**Wolf Dreams (Perk!)**

**You have gained a new attribute, unlocked after Perk: Warg!**

**As you are now a Warg you have now experienced Wolf Dreams. Some nights you will Warg into your companion without trying, and experience a night in their head. This can be useful as it improves your warging ability and your experience but will be hard at first.**

**+10 Warging, +10 Hunting.**

**Be careful though, wolf dreams will make you feel as though you haven't slept at all and will exhaust you!**

Well that made much more sense.

He was pleased to have an explanation as to why he felt like he needed to climb back into bed, and was somewhat pleased with the new perk but goodness, could it have had worse timing? He needed to be fresh and fit for the inevitable events that would happen once the King arrived, which would be very shortly. He couldn't afford to be unfocused and tired.

He glanced at Ghost then who was slumbering happily and he rolled his eyes, of course only one of them got the negatives of this.

What was he supposed to do? He needed to be focused, not tired, if only there was a way of sleeping for seven hours without time moving forward…

He smiled then as he realised what he could do.

Five minutes later he was washed, dressed, his beard trimmed (well it was a barely there beard but he missed the scruff on his face and refused to shave the stubble), his hair pulled back (he didn't want to trim that either), his weapons at his belt (he was not going without a weapon when soon Winterfell would be crawling with Lannisters), his book tucked into his tunic, his fur around his shoulders. He left Ghost to sleep, he'd need his companion's eyes and ears later, better to let him rest.

Just like he needed too, but thankfully he had an alternative.

Feeling much more cheered (but still far too tired to smile), he was quick to hurry through the courtyard, and thankfully with all the hustle and bustle of the Kings visit he went unnoticed. He was fast, kept to the shadows and quickly made his way around the side of the main building to walk through to the one place that could help him now.

The Godswood.

He had never been a religious man before, well he had believed but never devout. He still wasn't even sure which (if any) God had bought him back, but he was already reaping the benefits of following the Stark Gods, and as he approached the Weirwood, sap dripping, red leaves crisp against the snow, he smiled to himself.

The Old Gods may or may not have been what returned him to Westeros, but they were certainly helping him now.

He quickly pulled out his book once more, just to glance over what he planned to do for the 2nd time now.

**Weirwood Healing!**

**This is a unique ability that allows you to heal through the power of the Weirwood Tree. This is an extremely useful ability to ensure you are always in tip top condition!**

**However (there is usually a however!), this ability becomes worse the more frequently you do it! It is not a constant quick fix!**

Hmm, he hadn't seen the second line before, but he supposed there had to be a downside, well apart from the fact it was only really useful in the North, what with so few weirwoods elsewhere.

Still, it suited his needs now, to ensure he was at his best with the King coming, he couldn't afford to be sloppy or too tired. And so, off to the Godswood he went.

* * *

If he had expected anything different or more exciting than last time he would have been disappointed.

It was much the same. He raised his hand to the Weirwood Tree, knowing it was the correct thing to do. His eyes slid shut and a golden light took over, as it had before. It was still beautiful, no less luminous or ethereal than it had been last time. Again, it consumed him, his vision, his mind, just the brilliant bright light persisted, nothing else.

After a few seconds of the intense light, the same voice sounded as it had before…

'Be healed Jon Snow, be healed in the god's light, as you are chosen, and always remember, remember, the ink is dry'

The exact same words, not one different, and then the light grew brighter again, and again, and then he was back in the Godswood of Winterfell, on his knees, the snow damp on his breeches, but his mind clear.

Again, every ache was gone, every niggle, a cut that had been on his hand from training was no more, not even an outline. He felt as though he'd slept 12 hours rather than warged through the night and been robbed of sleep. He felt refreshed, and he let out a small sigh of contentment – this was certainly a perk that made this whole thing worthwhile.

It was the same routine, to the exact words, light, and the feeling after, the only difference this time was that Robb didn't interrupt him, and Ghost remained slumbering on his bed. He hoped his companion was getting rest, as he'd want him by his side when the King arrived.

He left the Godswood then, and immediately his vision was clouded by Robb, huh, close to the same then, did the Weirwood healing guarantee the arrival of his brother? Though in this instance he looked less confused, and was grimacing.

"Been looking for you" Robb yawned then, and Jon resisted the urge to laugh. It was dreadfully early and he'd looked worse than Robb just seconds earlier.

"Aye?" Jon asked with a smile, before he fell into step with Robb who was leading him across the courtyard. He didn't ask where they were going but he had a little time to spare, and he felt much more chipper now he was well rested and not half exhausted.

"Aye. Mother says she wants us to freshen up" Robb smiled then, through the tiredness and nodded at the hair on Jon's chin and his long locks, "Tidy up too"

Jon glared then to which Robb laughed. He was not getting rid of his hair or beard (though it wasn't quite a full beard yet), he liked how they looked, they reminded him of the self he'd known, of the man who had disappeared when a knife had been stabbed through his heart. He wasn't ready to let that go.

"No" He shook his head and Robb laughed again, Jon even smiled, for even he could admit he'd always been a bit fussy about his hair. "I'll wash of course but no trimming for me" He said, and then turned back on his foot to hurry back to his room. Robb didn't try and stop him, just laughed before shaking his head and heading in the opposite direction.

* * *

An hour later and the time had come.

He had washed, read over his stats maybe four or five more times (and had paced twice whilst doing so). He had read over the list of things he needed to prevent, had even re-read his research on King Robert and had sighed so loud at one point he had awoken Ghost who glared at him with those red eyes before settling down back to sleep.

Nerves jumped in his belly as he made his way out to the courtyard, Ghost now well rested and at his heels, the servant having rapped on his door five minutes earlier. The time had come.

He was dressed well, in Stark grey, with his long grey cloak, his weapons at his hip, this time it didn't look unusual. He had tidied up his beard and hair (though not trimmed), and this time he walked with a little more confidence.

Until he reached the courtyard.

"Come on" Lady Catelyn hissed at him before beckoning him to the second row. He resisted the urge to glare at her and instead hurried into place. No player relationships showed here (though the book remained as always tucked in his pocket), he wondered if it was because there were too many people, and who would be considered 'players' here? He didn't know but he was a little relieved, he didn't need distractions now.

The book was useful no doubt, hell it was life saving, but it could be a lot of information sometimes, and right now he needed to concentrate.

Once he took his place he looked forward to the Stark family in the front row.

Eddard Stark stood strong, Ice at his hip, hardbacked, he looked just as the head of a household should, and when Jon thought back to the Kings arrival last time, the differences in who looked more like a leader had and would again be striking.

Catelyn stood to his left, holding Rickons hand to her left. She was fussing a little, and he felt it best to ignore her. She had mostly left him alone since his secret had come to light to her, and he preferred it that way.

Robb stood on Lord Starks right, proud, just as hardbacked, though Jon could see his hand twitching, a sign of nerves.

Then it was Sansa, pretty in blue, smiling, eager, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He did care for Sansa, though she was the least sibling-like to him out of his siblings but he had forgotten how vapid she could be.

Then … yes there was Arya, and he did laugh again as she charged into her spot, "What are you doing with that on?" The helmet passed back to him which he gave to Jory. His little sister impish, grinning, and he threw her a grin as she settled into her spot.

Then Bran, who was trembling with excitement, ready to see the Knights, the figure he'd look up to and hope to become. Jon's expression darkened then – it was his responsibility to make sure that could happen.

He was stood between Theon and Jory, Theon ignored him, Jory was focused on the front. It was cold and though the snow had halted, the cold persisted. He wondered if it would be the same as last time, he hoped not, it had been tiresome then, he hoped for something different perhaps.

Ghost stood at his feet, as did all the Stark direwolfs at the feet of their masters. He knew he had a responsibility to them too and realised that would be more work, another sheet of paper. Keeping the Stark pack alive … he would need to keep their direwolf pack together too. Endless work, but worth it.

He heard the thud then, of hooves, the roll of the wheels of the carriage, the blow of a trumpet. A procession began to make its way in, and soon horses were coming through the main gate, into the courtyard.

They were here.

First came a member of the Kingsguard, helmet on, Jon knew it to be Ser Jaime, and he felt a warmth at the pocket of his book. Well, it wasted no time.

**Player!**

**Jaime Lannister**

**Brother of the Kingsguard**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: -20/100**

Well, that was to be expected. He imagined his negative relation to Jaime was due to his status as a bastard. He recalled the line in the book…

' **Your status as a bastard (at least in the eyes of men), means you have a lower level of respect among ALL nobels (except for the Dornish)'**

He imagined the rest of the negative points came from the Lannister view of the Stark family. But that didn't worry him, though he was curious to see Ser Jaime's level, his fighting skills after all were legendary.

Next came Joffrey, the spoiled shit himself. Jon found it easy to remain stoic and not betray his glare, but only just. He then saw the text over the blonde boy's head.

**Player!**

**Joffrey Baratheon (Waters)**

**Heir to the Iron Throne (In the eyes of men)**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: -50/100**

He imagined that was a mixture of the reasons for his negative relationship with the spoiled fake Prince was the same as Ser Jaime, though with Joffrey he actually found a hint of humour in it. The product of Lannister incest probably looked down on him for being a bastard, when Jon knew the positions were actually reversed.

' _Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes'_

He glanced at Sansa then, who still offered the young Prince a smile, though perhaps not as in awe before, she'd clearly gotten over the lies he'd sold her… hmm, that was a concern.

Next came the Hound, who Jon had, had very little interaction with, the words the book showed reflected that.

**Player!**

**The Hound**

**Sworn Sword to Joffrey Baratheon (Waters)**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: -10/100**

He couldn't help but feel the Hound likely disliked and had a negative relationship with everyone, though he did think back to what the book had said on his status as a bastard further…

' **Your status as a bastard means you have a lower level of respect among ALL nobles (expect for the Dornish), but a higher level of respect among commoners/peasants.** **This status also means your specific relationships will be greatly affected; for example if someone despises bastards your relationship with them will be MUCH lower, but if someone tolerates bastards your relationship with them will be barely affected'**

The Hound was no commoner, but he imagined the latter bit made sense here, he couldn't see the Hound as the kind of person to be bothered by birth status, and so it was more likely the negative points came from general dislike of everyone.

It was then the carriage rolled into the courtyard, but no one emerged, not just yet; first came another Kingsguard member, and no writing triggered over his head, it was then the King who came next, and he was forced to quickly take the knee as did the rest of the courtyard with the arrival of the King of Westeros.

As he sunk into the hard ground, cold (but it hardly bothered him), he thought, without even meaning to, of Mance Rayder.

' _I've never had a crown on my head or sat my arse on a bloody throne, if that's what you're asking. My birth is as low as a man's can get, no septon's ever smeared my head with oils, I don't own any castles and my queen wears furs and amber, not silk and sapphires. I am my own champion, my own fool, and my own harpist'_

Mance would never have a man kneel in front of him, and when Jon thought to his Quest, 'Claiming your Right' he knew he would never allow a man to kneel either, if he ever became King, he would refuse to be that kind.

The book glowed then, and he glanced up as Robert approached, but it didn't show writing above his head yet, instead the words appeared in front of him, something else, he quickly looked back down as the words appeared in front of him.

**Wildling Sympathiser (Perk!)**

**You have gained a new attribute.**

**You naturally sympathise with the ways of the freefolk and will be more accepted by their kind. Be careful though a tolerance for barbarians may see you at odds with others! +5 Bravery, Unlock the ability to learn and see the stats on 'The Old Tongue' – Reading, Writing, Talking, +5 to The Old Tongue Talking, Higher relationship with all Wildlings.**

Well, he hadn't been expecting something like that today, and yet it made sense to him, he was a sympathiser to the freefolk, hell, he'd died for it back in his time. And yet, that didn't make him wary of befriending them again, he still felt the actions he had taken at the Wall had been correct and likely would need to happen again.

With a smile to himself he thought again of Ygritte, would she be proud to see him carrying on with his acceptance of the wildlings? He thought of her then, red haired, fierce, no – she'd likely mock him for thinking they needed his acceptance.

' _It's dangerous being free, but most come to like the taste o' it'_

Yes, she'd mock him, her red hair swirling, bow in hand, a wink for him. God, he missed her.

Everyone began to rise then, and he forced himself back into the present, into the moment. He looked forward as King Robert made his way down the line and then he saw the stats above his head.

**Player!**

**Robert Baratheon**

**King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 20/100**

Hmm, he imagined his research and relationship to Lord Stark were to thank for the positive relationship, which he'd take if it helped him here.

He glanced over the Kings shoulder then as the King spoke to Arya, to see the Queen herself Cersei Lannister emerge. She was certainly beautiful, but her disdain for the North made her ugly in his eyes.

**Player!**

**Cersei Lannister**

**Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: -30/100**

Their relationship was actually better than he had thought – perhaps she sympathised with bastards knowing she had birthed three? He resisted the urge to smile, he doubted that.

He then went to look back to the King, but his eye was caught as following the Queen, a girl left the carriage, this hadn't happened last time. Still, the Queen held a hand out to the girl that exited, he even saw the Queens sneer soften as she helped the girl out of the carriage, and Jon (as well as Robb he noted), kept his eyes focused as she stepped out.

She was beautiful, even more so than the Queen, for her eyes were full of wonder and excitement, rather than disdain. She was older, perhaps only a year or so younger than Joffrey. She had long blonde flowing hair, a pretty face, a dress of gold and black, and then he noticed, her eyes were blue.

His eyes flickered up to her stats.

**Player!**

**Mycrella Baratheon**

**Princess of the Seven Kingdoms**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 0/100**

**Love: 0/100**

Huh, there was no clarifying she was a bastard, no Waters after her name, and as she looked across the courtyard, her gaze caught his for just a hint, her eyes were blue, not green, a flush took her cheeks he noticed and then she dropped her gaze from his.

What did this mean?

"Ned take me to the crypts, I want to pay my respects" The Kings words jolted him back into focus, though he noticed as Mycrella released her Mothers hand and wondered back to the carriage to assist a boy (Jon presumed her little brother) out. He had to force himself to look away.

This was a strange turn of events. Before Mycrella had been younger, he remembered thinking her insipid, blushing on his brothers' arm, pure Lannister. But now she seemed different, kinder, and perhaps not full Lannister at all. Why had that changed?

"We've been riding for a month my love, surely the dead can wait" Cersei Lannisters tone was full of bite, and again he glanced at Mycrella who winced, so not insipid, and a Baratheon not a Lannister … why?

As last time the King ignored his wife, and turned to Ned, and Jon dragged his gaze away from Mycrella. He knew he couldn't allow for the King and Lord Stark to go off alone, he needed to be present, to make sure the King didn't convince his Father into going South, and so Jon nudged Robb, and nodded his head, gave him a look, it only took Robb a second to catch on.

"We'll come to pay our respects too Father" Robb said, and Jon nodded, the King looked confused for a moment but was intent on making his way and just nodded before striding ahead. Their Father gave them an odd look, but when he caught Jon's eye he seemed to soften, which Jon was thankful for.

They followed quickly behind as Lord Stark caught up with the King, Jon and Robb followed, "Nice job" Jon whispered to Robb who nodded.

Soon they were at the entrance, guarded by the stone direwolfs, and in they went.

* * *

The crypts were quiet, but lighter than usual, his F…Uncle must have had them lit in anticipation of the King asking to come down here. He had known he'd want to see her, Lyanna, his Mother.

Jon wasn't sure how he felt about it all. Here stood his Uncles best friend, the man who'd loved his Mother, but killed his biological Father. It was confusing, he had never known Rhaegar Targaryen, so how could he hate King Robert? It was difficult to work out in his head, how should he feel? Angry? Sad? Mad at the King? Mad at his Father for abandoning his Mother? He had no idea, and honestly thinking on it gave him a headache and so for the moment he set it aside.

The King and Lord Stark walked first, talking in hushed voices, whilst he followed behind, with Robb. An impulse had driven him to volunteer to come down here with the older men, mainly to make sure his Uncle refused the job the King was about to offer, he had worked hard to ensure he would, he didn't want that work to fall apart because his Uncle gave in at the last minute.

Defending the Starks, his family, that was what this was all about, and so if he had to grimace as King Robert caressed the statue of his Mother on the face, placed a feather in her hand … he would.

"Ahh damn it Ned, did you have to bury her in a place like this? She deserves more than darkness…" He heard the King say, as he lingered behind, whilst Robb had wandered over to look at the statue of Brandon the Shipwright, though he could tell by the way he was cocking his head slightly to the side he was still listening, just as Jon was, as he pretended to be absorbed in looking at the statue of Benjen the Bitter.

"She was a Stark of Winterfell. This is her place" His Uncle said, his tone sure and Jon felt a surge of pride. He agreed, his Mother was a Stark, she belonged to rest at Winterfell, just as one day he hoped he would, even with his name.

"She should be on a hill somewhere, under a fruit tree, with the sun and clouds above her and the rain to wash her clean" The King countered, and Jon was surprised to see tears in the Kings eyes, his gaze fixed on the statue.

"I was with her when she died. She wanted to come home, to rest beside Brandon and Father" His Father insisted, and then King Robert fell quiet. Jon felt tears prick in his own eyes.

He remembered the Quest, 'The Rubies of the Trident' that had promised if he fulfilled it (and he still had no idea how, but that was a question for another day), it would show him his Fathers final moments, but what about his Mothers?

He felt it then, the warmth of the book, but also a sense of relief that he wouldn't be robbed of the memory. He knew it would be hard to watch, but he felt he needed to.

**Quest Alert!**

**Dying Moments**

**Talk to your Uncle about your Mothers last moments.**

**Rewards: +200XP, See your Mothers last moments!**

**Failure: Your Mothers last moments remain a stranger to you.**

He felt relieved and sure, this would be an easy one to complete, thankfully. He didn't care about the XP, he just wanted to see those moments, and he was thankful he would.

"So what of it Ned?" King Robert spoke then and Jon quickly refocused. What had he missed?

"I do not deserve such an honour Your Grace" His Uncle returned, and Jon realised, as he made no effort to conceal that he was watching and listening (and as he glanced to Robb, who was now stood beside him, neither was he), as he realised it had come, the moment that in his previous life had started the fall of the Stark family.

"Bah!" The King scoffed, "I do not honour you; I need you to run the Kingdoms for me! The King shits and the hand wipes!" He laughed then, the booming sound bouncing off the walls of the usually quiet crypt. "I don't like ruling Ned, I don't want to, but you, you'll take it seriously" He nodded then, and held out his hand, waiting for Eddard Stark to take it, to shake and make the descent South. Jon was sure both he and Robb had stopped breathing as they waited for Lord Stark to take his hand, even Jon for some reason thought he might, like in the past, as he was sure this scene had played out…

But yet, no hands touched.

"I regret I cannot" Eddard said with a shake of his head and Jon had to stop the exhale of pure relief that wished to leave his lips, "Winter is Coming, and I must be here, a Stark can not leave Winterfell with winter on the horizon" He said, and he seemed so firm, so resolute, he wasn't sure the King would even argue.

But perhaps that was wishful thinking.

"I need you down South with me Ned" The King said, serious then, and Jon felt the tension back in his spine, it wasn't over yet. "To help me rule"

"I can't Robert" They both seemed to be speaking more plainly now, and Jon could now see the two friends talking, not two of the most powerful men in Westeros. It was more plain, and unsettling. "I cannot leave Winterfell when Winter approaches, it is not the Stark way"

"You'll leave me in Kings Landing? Surrounded by vipers?" King Robert demanded then, his face growing red, "You'd do that to me?"

"Make Stannis your hand Robert" Ned threw back, "He would gladly take the honour and would find insult if you did not, he will defend the post well, for I cannot"

Robert seemed to deflate then, like a sinkhole falling in on itself and he looked older then, by years. He even glanced back at the statue of Lyanna, and Jon knew then, his spine sagging in relief; it was over.

"Knew it was a long shot" Robert threw back, trying to gather some composure, even a bit of bravado for one could tell he was disappointed but trying to rally, "You'll forever freeze up here!" He mocked, and his Uncle actually smiled then and reached out to take his friends hand, it was oddly sweet, though perhaps Jon was just delirious with relief, he could see Robb next to him was the same.

"Right, then there are other ways for you to help me. I have a son, you a daughter, we'll join our houses in a way that Lyanna and I could not" He proposed, and Jon felt like ice trickled into his stomach. That had been on his list of things to stop, but despite his lies to Sansa she had still grinned at the golden Prince … well bastard, when he had arrived, and now here it was, the betrothal proposal.

Fuck.

He hadn't even thought about how to prevent this, had perhaps just hoped with his Uncle not going South no one else would. Fuck. He could hardly jump in now, no, that would look strange.

"I'll have to talk to Cat" Eddard responded, "And she wouldn't travel to Kings Landing for several years" At Roberts nod that gave him a sense of relief, he had time, _just_ , to stop this at least, years perhaps, he could work with that.

He patted the book at his chest then, yet there was no warmth, no Quest, that made him feel a hint more worried. Was it preventable? Or was the quest just not presenting itself yet? He hoped for the latter.

And yet he didn't have much time to debate or think on that, as then something else happened, something new, something that certainly hadn't come up last time.

"Fine Ned, but then, I need some Starks South" It was then King Robert turned to look at them, he even smiled, though it was strained. "Your boy needs some more experience before he rules here, he'll come South, to experience Kings Landing for a few months, before freezing up here with you" He laughed again then, but it was a tad forced.

Jon felt panicked then, and he knew now was the time to step in, not just observe.

"We're going on a tour" He jumped in, that didn't look odd, just a boy defending something he'd been promised, and Robb nodded furiously next to him, either because he didn't want to miss the tour or because he didn't want to go to Kings Landing … perhaps both.

"Really?" Robert smiled again then, a real one this time, it made him look younger. "We did the same didn't we Ned?"

"Aye" His Father didn't smile as wide though, he glanced at Robb, he wanted Robb going South no more than he didn't want Sansa too. "It was a good experience; one I won't deprive the boys of"

"Not a problem" The King shot back, "I'm sure your ship isn't ready yet, you'll come South first, and then Ned you can send the boat to pick them up from Kings Landing, they can tour and then return home" He nodded, and then his gaze swivelled to Jon. It was only his bravery that had him meet the Kings gaze, "Both of you, Cersei won't much like having you around Jon but curse her" He cursed and then laughed, a tad forced again, "You'll both join me in the Capitol, experience the South, it might even be good for you Jon, perhaps you could look at joining something like the Kingsguard"

Jon did nod, not because he planned, nor wanted to join the Kingsguard, but because if Robb had to go South (and he could clearly see, they couldn't refuse the King everything, the only reason they had been able to refuse anything at all was because of the Kings affection for Lord Stark, they couldn't push it), then he would join him, to protect him, watch his back.

And he knew the book would have much to offer in Kings Landing. He still didn't like it, but if Robb had to go, so would he, and perhaps he would be able to grow and experience more there as well. He glanced over his shoulder then, thought of the North … the Others were too close, but not so close he had to run to the Wall now, he had time … well, some, _just_.

"Agreed then?" Jon nodded first, then Robb, and then it was the King and Lord Stark clasping hands. The King looked mollified, but the scene had changed.

Before Eddard Stark had clasped the Kings hand and then marched to his death, but now as he glanced at Robb, who looked just as nervous as he no doubt did, he just hoped they weren't marching to theirs.

* * *

Hours had passed since the moment in the crypts. As soon as they had emerged Robb had shot him a meaningful look and they had hurried back to his brothers' room, locked the door, and spoken at length.

"We don't have a choice" Jon had offered, "Father had to give him something"

"What us?" Robb said, rolling his eyes, Jon didn't blame him, they belonged in the North, or perhaps a jaunt here and there, but neither wanted to be in the South for months, in the heat, among the lies and deceit.

' _Starks don't do well in the South'_

"Better than Sansa, or even Arya" Jon shot back, and he saw his brother deflate then, almost like the King had, and he nodded. Someone had to take one for the family, they couldn't have refused everything, and if anyone had to go, Jon felt Robb and he were best placed to have a chance of survival… at least. Robb knew it Jon could see, they had the better chance in the South, they'd go to defend their family.

They had spoken a little about the journey, about going South first, Jon had hoped to have longer in the North, to prepare for the Tour, though he didn't voice that, just nodded as Robb talked about talking to his Father about taking some of the household guard.

Jon had taken his leave then, feigned tiredness, but promised a further chat tomorrow. They had much to discuss after all, and Jon would insist on them upping their training schedule, if they had to defend themselves down South, he wanted them to be ready.

It was then he had hurried back to his room, and now he sat, waiting, washed, and dressed, the feast starting soon.

The day had not turned out as he had planned.

On the plus side his Uncle and Sansa and Arya would remain in Winterfell (and when he had walked past Sansa's room, he had heard her sobbing, so that seemed a sure thing, thankfully), but in exchange he and Robb had to go South, to Kings Landing, to the pit of lions, vipers, and scheming. He felt they were better prepared than even Robb knew, but Jon wasn't naïve, it wasn't enough.

He looked at the book then, on his desk where he was sat, it had been quiet throughout all of this, and he felt he could force it to help him through sheer will it would have already. Was there no Quest? Perk? Plan? Why had it gone silent now? When he most needed advice?

He knew he had to go South, he had no choice, but he had to ensure he was protected, Robb was protected, and he knew he needed the books help with that.

He brooded for several minutes, and yet nothing, nothing at all came.

A knock on his door and the servants call to dinner stirred him from his thoughts. He tucked the book in his pocket, whistled to Ghost, and strapped his dagger to his belt. Perhaps before the days end the book would offer him something, anything about what to do in Kings Landing, or even what to do on the journey South.

He hoped so, because he felt, with a dawning horror, that he and Robb needed all the help they could get.

* * *

The feast played out much like it had before … well, all except for Jon's role in it.

Before he had been sat at the back, hidden away, bastard he was, but now, either because Lady Catelyn had, had a change of heart (which he sincerely doubted), or because the King had wanted him nearby now he was due to travel South with them (which seemed more likely), or perhaps because his Father had put his foot down (which he hoped), he was now sat at the end of the Stark table, next to Bran who was babbling about the Kingsguard, which at least gave Jon a smile.

Otherwise, it was much the same. Robb had escorted Mycrella in, Sansa and Joffrey, Tommen and Arya, and Jon had held Rickon and Brans hands before getting them sat down. The food was still delicious, the King still laughed, drank, and groped, his Father handled it with grace and the Queen, beautiful but foul rolled her pretty eyes and offered anyone who looked at her a glare.

Much the same.

Hell, he even wandered out halfway in, though last time he had ran out after talking to his Uncle (who hadn't made his way to him just yet), this time it was by choice. He'd never be made for feasts, pomp, and circumstance. He'd rolled his eyes and near laughed as the pampered Prince had boasted of battle victories he hadn't experienced, and had felt himself flush as the older, and more beautiful Mycrella grinned at him, pretty and pink cheeked, blue eyed (which he still didn't understand why). And so, he'd escaped, slightly flushed, and slightly annoyed at the whole thing, into the cold.

The first breath of the outside air settled his head and he felt immediately more at ease. The loud music and yelling continued as he just took a seat outside, no anger in him to attack the dummy this time, just a relief to be out of the way.

He laughed to himself then, once he'd despised his place as bastard, hidden and shoved aside, but now? It helped his aching head!

Sure, he still felt a twinge of resentment, anger, that he was looked down upon – especially now he knew the truth! But it was strange, such truth actually made him feel more secure. The Prince could mock, the Queen could glare, but he knew the truth, about all of them. It gave him a quiet kind of reassurance and made the snubs much easier to handle than he once had.

Though, it didn't quite banish the years of insecurity and resentment, it made it much, _much_ easier.

Still, he remembered the anger he'd felt last time, why he'd ran from the feast before…

' _Come back to me after you've fathered a few bastards of your own, and we'll see how you feel'_

' _I will never father a bastard. Never!'_

He felt that same jolt of anger, perhaps he still held that resentment, but it was easier to bury now he knew the truth.

"Boy" A voice called out to him and his anger near disappeared, almost replaced with a laugh. Just how things played out the same … like a clock turning over and over, it would be tiresome did he not have a different perspective on it now.

Each scene, word, talk, moment that played the same was his chance to learn from it, to do better, to understand it. He needed to after all, if he wanted to survive, both him and the Starks, going forward.

"Is that animal a wolf?"

"A direwolf" Jon said with a nod, no anger in him now, or perhaps just a hint, "His name is Ghost" Last time he had asked questions, but instead this time he offered, "You want to get a closer look?"

Tyrion Lannister looked a hint surprised then but nodded.

"Do you need me to help you get down?" He knew he didn't, but he didn't want to seem impolite.

"Oh, bleed that" Word for word, and move for move, though Jon was still impressed as the little man pushed himself off the edge and spun into a tight ball and landed lightly on his hands before vaulting back onto his legs. He probably didn't have the same look of shock on his face, but he still watched, it was impressive after all. Ghost still shuffled away a little, and Jon had to resist the urge to laugh as Tyrion spoke.

"I believe I've frightened your wolf. My apologies"

"He's not scared" Jon said with a shake of his head, and he whistled, "Ghost come here, come on" The wolf pup padded closer then, nuzzled Jon's face, but he remained way of Tyrion Lannister, growling as he had last time, teeth bared, to which Jon raised an eyebrow at his companion.

"Shy isn't he?" Tyrion observed.

"Sit Ghost" He commanded, and without another word Ghost obeyed, perhaps warging had helped with the obedience and training as well, though Jon didn't like to think of Ghost as subservient, they were companions, _equals_. "He won't move now until I tell him to" He nodded, "You'll be fine"

"I see" Tyrion nodded, as he ruffled the snow-white fur of Ghosts ears, "Nice wolf" Same words, same moves, all the same.

Last time though Jon had made a threat, here he didn't, Ghost wasn't quite ready to tear human throats out yet, and he felt no need to brag and boast as he had last time. He still held some arrogance, he knew that, but it was no longer the boyish urge to brag as it had been.

He also felt more at ease with Tyrion Lannister now. Still wary, for the dwarf was far, _far_ smarter than any gave him credit for, but he remembered before, when Tyrion had helped him at Castle Black, remembered his kindness, Jon would show him the same now.

"I am Tyrion Lannister" He offered, cocking his oversized head to one side, with those mismatched eyes that Jon had once found strange, but could accept easily now.

His book warmed then, glowed, and he just glanced up to see the writing appear, not wanting to be distracted but giving a look.

**Player!**

**Tyrion Lannister.**

**Heir to Casterly Rock.**

**Level:?**

**Relationship: 20/100**

He was pleased to see the relationship was positive, but was frustrated not to see the level, he felt Tyrions would likely be quite high, level 5 couldn't come soon enough for him, to understand where he stood in things, and where he could climb to.

"I know" For he did, more now than before.

"You're Ned Starks bastard aren't you?"

This time he thought he'd just nod, perhaps shrug it off, but he flinched, still found himself pressing his lips together, that familiar coldness in his belly. No, not quite as fine with his status as he thought … or was pretending then.

"Did I offend you?" Tyrion said, as he had last time, "Sorry. Dwarfs don't have to be tactful. Generations of capering fools in motely have won me the right to dress badly and say any damn thing that comes into my head" He grinned then, same again, the white teeth, the misshapen head, the eyes, "You are a bastard though"

"I know" For he did … or didn't. Sure, the stain persisted, but the truth underneath was different. The resentment tickled his neck then, he didn't even deserve the stain on him.

"Yes" He said, "You look just like Lord Stark. You have more of the North in you than your brothers"

Jon didn't correct him as he had last time – half brothers they weren't, but cousins, though in his mind still siblings. He still felt that same hint of warmth at Tyrions words, more of the North in him, even though he was half South.

"Let me give you some counsel bastard" Now this he remembered more than all the rest, and why he did (despite his terrible tact) look upon Tyrion Lannister warmly. He had repeated what the dwarf was about to say over and over to himself when he had been younger, it had given him strength, over and over again. "Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you"

He found himself saying the same words, though he already knew the answer, perhaps he just wanted to see if Tyrions response would be the same, "What do you know about being a bastard?"

"All dwarfs are bastards in their father's eyes"

"But you are your mother's trueborn son of Lannister" He fired back, though he knew now what the dwarf meant he still found himself asking.

"Am I?" He fired back, and Jon had to stop himself from smiling, the predictable conversation was no less stimulating now, Tyrion Lannister's mind and words remained just as sharp, "Do tell my lord father. My mother died birthing me, and he's never been sure"

Once Jon had said he didn't know who his mother was, but now he did, and even though it would have made sense to, he couldn't voice the words he had last time.

"Just remember this Jon Snow" Once he'd called him a boy, now by name, was it respect? "All dwarfs may be bastard, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs"

Jon still wasn't quite sure what that meant, or what Tyrion meant it to mean. The Lannister still had far more wisdom than he, even though he'd lived a lifetime since their last meeting. Still, as he turned and walked away, with the small changes in the conversation, Tyrion Lannister still left, opened the door, and still looked like a King in the light that spilled from, tall and powerful.

Looked like a King, but then Jon patted his book and thought of the Quest, his real status, his future. Looked like a King, but Jon could be one…if he wanted it.

' _I've never had a crown on my head'_

Would he be King? Could he be?

"Nephew!" Someone else now, another voice, and Jon forgot for a moment his concerns of the Throne, smiled a little to himself, but took a second before turning.

Bastard, Trueborn, Brother, Prince, King.

What was he?

Even though the book remained silent as he turned to face his Uncle Benjen he felt that soon he would need to figure that out, and very soon, the South would call, and then the East, and then … _North_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo thoughts?
> 
> I had a lot of comments on the last chapter people felt it was too heavy on game mechanics, which I do understand, it was set-up, so hopefully this offers some pay off! as will the next chapter continue hopefully (which I've already started writing! my muse for this fic is soo high atm so going to capitalise).
> 
> in terms of pairing nope am not revealing yet! though I do love your guesses aha.
> 
> please do let me know your thoughts (but keep it constructive, hint 'this sux' is not constructive), I loved writing this chapter, I particularly love Tyrion, honestly I reread half of the first ASOIAF book this week just because I love Tyrions chapters, some of the dialogue here is directly lifted because I couldn't stand to change or cut it.
> 
> as always subscribe for updates.
> 
> speak soon


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